High drama played out across the country of Guyana over the course of the last week, starting from Wednesday, 20th of April, 2022, after a woman came on air to lament that her daughter was trafficked into an interior location and her pleas for help are being ignored by the police and other relevant authorities.
Subsequently, former government Minister, Simona Broomes, along with popular social media personality, “Melly Mel” made several Facebook Live Videos showing their investigative work in trying to locate the child. Yesterday, 23rd of April, 2022, Melly Mel made a Facebook Update to say that the child was found and returned safely to her mother. She also bashed the police force and the Child Care and Protection Agency for their alleged slothfulness and indifference in handling a matter where a child’s life was in apparent danger and a mother was crying out for help.
However, in a sudden twist in the story, the teenaged girl showed up at the Cove and John Police Station yesterday, Saturday, 23rd of April, 2022, to tell a slightly different version of the story. According to the statement given to the police by the young girl, she was not trafficked, but ran away from an abusive mother whom she called and informed that she was not returning home. The teen said that she was afraid of returning home because her mother would usually beat her. She was accompanied to the station by 19-year-old Sharda James at whose residence she had sought refuge. The teen further explained that she found out directions to Sharda James’ home along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway from persons who live close to the area.
Following the Police Statement, the child was put in the care of the Child Care and Protection Agency.
You can read more details of the teen’s police statement the Facebook Page of Action News Guyana.
