CPA to conduct forensic interview with underage mom

Jan 05, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – The Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) will conduct a forensic interview with the 14-year old who reportedly abandoned her baby after giving birth on New Year’s day.
The abandoned infant was found about an hour later lying in a patch of grass close to a saw mill at Kwebana Village, Moruca, Region One. A group of visitors made the discovery. Not long after, villagers were able to locate the child’s mother in her parents’ home. She too was in a bad state and was found bleeding.
The underage mom was given the necessary treatment by medical professionals and was transferred with her newborn to the Kumaka District Hospital.
Kaieteur News reported on Monday that police have since launched an investigation into the matter.
Speaking with this newspaper yesterday, Director of CPA, Ann Greene, said that her agency is investigating the case as well.
Greene revealed that mother is underage and that it might be a case of statutory rape.
Sources had told this media house that the girl’s parents were unaware that she was pregnant. She was fearful to confide in them and kept it a secret. When she started having pains, she suspected that it was probably time to give birth. The teenage girl reportedly crept out of the house unknown to her parents and went down to the saw mill. After giving birth she became even more fearful about how her parents will react and decided to abandon the infant. The teen, however, has not yet revealed the identity of the child’ father.
Greene said that a forensic interview is to be conducted with her soon. The CPA director explained that the interview is to get her to speak and if possible reveal the identity of the baby’s father.
Greene noted that forensic interviews are done with care in order to gain the confidence especially with such cases. “We have to take our time with her, it is a delicate situation and it must be treated with great caution,” said Greene.
She pointed out too that there is need to check the teen’s mental state and condition as well.
Villagers had described the teen as someone who might have been suffering from depression since she hardly spoke to anyone and always kept to herself.