A 15-year-old Vryman’s Erven Secondary School student, who violated an order to remain in the care of the Social Services Department has been sent to the New Opportunity Corps (NOC), at Onderneeming, Essequibo Coast, for three years. That happened Thursday, after her single parent mother declared she could not control the girl.
The sentence was imposed by Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo, at New Amsterdam Court in Berbice, after Probation and Welfare Officer, Ms. Maisie Sheppard reported that the form three student was, constantly, rude to her biological mother, who is embarrassed by her daughter’s behaviour.
Due to the teen’s wandering spells, she had visited the Juvenile Centre at Central Police Station, in New Amsterdam, where she was spoken to, repeatedly, by the officer, whose instructions fell on deaf ears.
The teen was subsequently placed in the custody of the Department of Social Services for a year but she breached the Court Order and, again, wandered on March 23.
Other residents of the squatting community told the Probation and Welfare Officer that the teenager, whom they described as uncontrollable, would physically and verbally assault her mother and older siblings.
Her Headmaster, Mr. Mangra reported that, during the September to March term, the girl attended 174 of the 266 teaching days. He said, while she has lost interest in academic studies, she excelled at athletics.