Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 09, 2014 News
Police, together with officers of the Child Care and Protection Agency, (CCPA) are still feverishly investigating two cases of underage pregnancies that were uncovered during the latter part of last year in Region One.
Initial reports that reached the Child Care and Protection Agency are that one of the girls was 11 years -old and had been living at Falls Top, Port Kaituma with a 19-year-old man since she was 10. Persons from the area had also insisted that the child’s cohabitation with the man was fully endorsed by her parents.
However, the mother of the girl, when questioned by police ranks and an officer of the Child Care and Protection Agency yesterday, was not only adamant in stating that her daughter had run away on several occasions with the man with whom she lived, but that she is in fact 18 years old.
The woman in her fervent efforts to dispute the claims of the officials urged them to inquire further at the level of the school system since her daughter had attended school for a short period. But instead of confirming the woman’s claims, school records presented to the investigating team revealed that the girl, who is about eight months pregnant, is in fact currently 13 years old.
Moreover, police are continuing their hunt for the young man who impregnated the girl. The man since last year had reportedly gone into the Falls Top backdam, where he reportedly works. However, there are other reports that the man has gone into hiding having learnt that he is being sought by police.
According to Deputy Director at the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ms. Stacey Fraser, although there have been many such cases where persons “supposedly went into the backdam,” a charge for child rape is still imminent for the young man.
“As far as I am aware the police will continue efforts to locate the man and charges should be instituted once he is caught because the girl, even at 13, is still underage,” Fraser firmly noted.
Meanwhile, the other girl said to be 12 years old has since given birth to her baby at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) by way of Caesarean Section. However, all efforts to ascertain her true age have proven futile. Although the girl continues to insist that she is 17 years old, investigations have not proven this, according to Fraser. The Child Protection official explained that since the girl had never attended school at any level, there are no records to substantiate her claims. Even the girl’s mother has not been able to provide documentation to prove her age as she was not registered at birth, Fraser disclosed.
Although the young mother remains a patient at the GPHC, the other girl is currently a resident at the Princess Street, Georgetown, Amerindian Hostel, where she is expected to remain until investigations and the relevant actions are taken, Fraser said.
Fraser during an earlier interview with this publication noted that the Child Care and Protection Agency is well aware that in some far-flung regions young girls engaging in sexual activities is accepted as a norm.
However, she noted that the Agency has a constant role to “get the message across that this is not acceptable. It is hard to change the way people think because these things might have been going on for generations, so we have to educate people about the laws, because it is always difficult to see a child getting a child,” said Fraser.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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