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Jun 19, 2014 News
The owners and operators of the Berbice Anjuman Orphanage at Philadelphia Street, New Amsterdam, are not happy about the story being circulated of teens being maltreated at their institution.
Owner Mr. Abu Mandal, an overseas-based Canadian citizen, is prepared to do everything in his power to clear the names of management and staff of the institution which has been in existence for over 25 years. He said that he is prepared to take a lie detector test.
Recently, there were reports of child molestation and sodomy, and of children fleeing the Institution. It was also reported by the Ministry of Social Services that five boys were taken from the institution and placed into protective custody. A relative of one of the students related a not so encouraging story.
The man at the centre of the controversy is the manager Mohamed Deen, a former resident of the institution. He has been living there since the inception. He was arrested and subsequently released. Now Deen is also prepared to go to all lengths to clear his name.
The proprietors were livid at the revelations and immediately moved to clear the name of the institution. Mr. Mandal said that the story of the boy being forced into labour and not going to school is a total fabrication. The boy was never made to work at any water company and was never taken out of school. The Aqua Mist Water Company at Main and Nicolay Streets stated that the boy never worked there.
The proprietrix was not happy that her company has been implicated. She said that she received a phone call from the lad’s mother inquiring about her son’s salary. She in turn informed his mother that no child ever worked there.
She said that he had called asking for a job and that she denied his request because of his age.
Vryman’s Erven Secondary School (VESS) also produced records to show that the lad was a regular student of the school. The report seen by Kaieteur News also stated that the child seemed to have some psychological problems and has difficulty in learning.
Mr. Mandal said that before the entire episode occurred the woman had promised to take her children out of the institution. They had a mutual agreement that the children would be removed after the 12-year-old sister finished sitting her SSEE Examinations in April.
However, she reneged and they tried to ascertain from the woman what her final decision would be. It was not long after that the allegations were made.
On the issue of sexual molestation and sodomy, the owners are adamant that although there might be a case where the boy was molested, he was not molested there.
On one visit to the Orphanage he was accompanied by the police. He stated that he was molested once, on May 23, last. When questioned, he said that he was not molested by Deen. In fact, it was confirmed by a number of residents of the institution that the boy did not sleep at the Orphanage that night.
According to Mandal the boy would be required to sound the Azam, (call to prayer) at 18:10 hrs. On May 23, last, he did not do so. The other students reported that the alleged victim rode out of the compound around the time of prayers and headed towards Vryheid, West Canje.
He returned the following day and left later the afternoon for Scout practice at the Central Police Station, but he never went. He was later seen at a game shop in Vryheid. After that he was not seen again until the orphanage was contacted by the police about the molestation revelation.
The issue of some of the boys being taken out of the institution and sent to Georgetown to ‘hush up’ the story is also not true. He said that they at the institution are unaware of the children’s location. He pointed to the Ministry’s release which stated that five boys were taken away and being kept in protective custody.
Officials at the Ministry were mum on the situation. When contacted they were only willing to state that the children were in protective custody.
An elderly 77-year-old woman sleeps in the dormitory. Her bed is next to where the alleged victim sleeps.
The Orphanage houses both male and female students.
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