Arrest warrant issued for mother of abandoned Perseverance boys

Sep 20, 2014 News

An arrest warrant was on Thursday ordered for 37-year-old Angela Bodhaley of Perseverance, Essequibo Coast. The woman who is accused of abandoning her five sons was scheduled to appear before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for sentencing. Her failure to attend court prompted the Magistrate to issue the order.
Sentencing has therefore been deferred to September 26 by which time it is expected that the woman will be in lawful custody.
Bodhaley had previously appeared before Magistrate Scarce at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court on September 4 where she pleaded guilty to neglecting her sons, all below the age of 15, for a period of close to three weeks during the month of August. Ahead of that appearance she was required to appear in court on August 26 but did not turn up. A summons was therefore issued for her to attend court.
At the hearing on September 4 the Magistrate requested of the defendant a reason for her neglect of her offspring to which she responded by disclosing her inability to care for them. According to the woman, she is required to pay a rent which she can ill-afford to do even as she disclosed that oftentimes she is required to rely on neighbours for assistance to maintain herself and children.
The unrepresented woman also confessed that her school aged sons have been helping to financially support her and themselves.
This led the Magistrate to query why Bodhaley was not able to find employment. The woman in her attempt to explain her circumstance said that she was unable to work because of a sore on her foot. She however did not specify which foot.
Although Magistrate Scarce was contemplating releasing Bodhaley on her own recognizance, he pointed out that the nature of the charge will not permit him to do so.
Based on Section 49 of the Child Protection Act of 2009 “A person who by commission or omission wilfully contributes to a child being a child in need of protective intervention commits an offence and is liable.”
Bodhaley was required then to pay $10,000 bail before she was released.
During the hearing too, the Magistrate instructed a Child Protection Officer in attendance to ensure that a report on the matter be submitted to him ahead of sentencing.
According to reports, Bodhaley had left her five sons without adult supervision, forcing them to take care of themselves, a practice that they had grown accustomed to since she would, on occasion, leave them unattended. The most recent period of desertion was however reportedly the longest the woman had stayed away.
The boys have since been taken into protective custody.
Reports are that the boys were not enrolled to attend school and would seek odd jobs to help their mother.
Their plight was first highlighted by some concerned residents who brought the matter to the attention of this publication and subsequently that of the Police and the Child Care and Protection Agency.
This matter has come to the fore even as the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, under which the Child Protection Agency falls, is threatening to take action against parents who abandon or otherwise mistreat their children.

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Arrest warrant issued for mother of abandoned Perseverance boys

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