President Irfaan Ali on Monday night said the three independent forensic pathologists, who examined the remains of 11-year-old Adriana Younge, have ruled out “forced drowning.”
He made the disclosure during a late night press conference at State House, hours after the post mortem examination on the remains of Younge had concluded at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).
The post mortem examination found that Younge, who was found dead in a pool at the Double Day Hotel last Thursday, died as a result of drowning. She was reported missing the previous day while at an outing at the hotel with relatives.
“The relatives were also informed that the pathologists ruled out theories of forceful drowning or any other means of killing, following by disposal of the body in water,” President Ali said as he sat alongside the Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony.
The post mortem examination was done by three independent pathologists – Dr Gary Collins, the Chief Medical Examiner of Delaware, United States of America; Dr Glenn Rudner of Mount Sinai Hospital; and Dr. Shubhakar Karra Paul, who operates out of Barbados.
While the autopsy commenced at 13:20hrs on Monday, and spanned more than four hours, the team also conducted a forensic CT Scan and an X-ray of the body at the Balwant Singh Hospital, earlier in the day.
The objectives of the examinations were to identify signs of trauma or injuries to the body, detect signs of sexual violence, collect appropriate forensic samples, document the post mortem examination through photographs and videography and determine the cause of death.
“Upon completing the procedure, the forensic pathologists ruled out signs of physical and sexual trauma on Ms Younge’s body. After careful deliberation, the team concluded that Ms Younge died as a result of drowning,” the President said.
However, according to the President, due to the state of decomposition of Younge’s body, the pathologists were unable to give a time of death.
Once the examinations were completed, Younge’s parents and other relatives were briefed on the cause of death.
The young girl’s father has rejected the findings, convinced that his daughter was killed and later placed into the hotel’s pool.
Prior to the discovery of Younge’s body, relatives said the pool was searched multiple times.
The pathologists are expected to sign off on their full report. That report, the President said, would be made available to the family, within the limits of the law. A toxicology test is also expected to be conducted.
The girl’s death triggered widespread protests and the results of the autopsy have also triggered additional protests in several parts of the country with fires being set along major roadways.
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