A THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD girl, for whom several missing person reports were made within a three months period, has been put in the care of her biological mother.

The teen, for whom Magistate Adela Nagamootoo made the order last Friday, at New Amsterdam Court in Berbice, had wandered away from her grandmother, a maternal aunt, a pastor and an orphanage.
Additionally, the child is to visit the Probation and Welfare Department in New Amsterdam for one year of counselling.
Earlier, the teenager, in tears, begged the magistrate not to send her to the New Opportunity Corps (NOC).
“I want to go home,” she begged.
Responding the magistrate admonished her to stop visiting the home of a named man and told her mother to find something for her daughter to do.
“Sewing or something,” the magistrate suggested, declaring that the girl has too much time and is always wandering, going into someone else’s house.
Magistrate Nagamolotoo told the obviously embarrassed mother: “Madam, this is not all the child’s fault. You need to be there. It’s your child. You brought her into the world. You had a good time when you brought her into the world. You cannot abandon her now.”
In a report, prepared by Probation and Welfare Officer Maisie Sheppard, it was recorded that, on March 10, 2012, the teenager was placed in the care of her maternal grandmother by Child Care and Protection Officer Rosieta De Castro, after it was reported that the offender wanders the streets and that her mother’s whereabouts were unknown.
Maternal aunt
The offender, subsequently, left her grandmother’s home without indicating to the Child Care Officer where she was going and, thereafter, resided with a maternal aunt, formerly of Canefield Settlement, East Canje.
The compilation said, on April 16, 2012, the aunt visited the Probation and Welfare Office in relation to her niece’s disappearance from the home, along with missing clothes and money.
A missing person report was made at Reliance Police Station and, on April 18, 2012, she was charged with wandering and appeared before Magistrate Fabio Azore, who placed her in the care of the Probation and Welfare Department.
The teen was sent to the Berbice Anjuman Orphanage in Philadelphia Street, New Amsterdam but, on June 6, 2012, she left there to attend the Vryman’s Erven Secondary School. However, after classes were dismissed, she never returned to the Children’s home.
Consequently, another missing person report was made at Central Police Station, New Amsterdam, by the caregiver of the Muslim institution.
Sheppard reported that, on June 9, 2012, the girl was apprehended by a public-spirited citizen who took her to Central Police Station after which she was put in the care and custody of Pastor Mayleen Mc Kenzie of the Abundant Life Ministries Church.
The girl stayed there for a week before causing another missing person report to be made about her at the Central Police Station.
It was disclosed that, subsequent to her departure from the Children’s Home and the Abundant Life Ministries premises, the girl was fed and accommodated by a 22-year-old man whose only name was given as Moses.
She was since charged, on September 10, with wandering and the Probation Report strongly recommended that she be in a controlled environment, preferably the NOC, as her previous attitude and behaviour would deter law abiding citizens, caregivers, children’s homes or orphanages, to accept her in their care for her own safety and protection.
Meantime, police reported that, on September 10 last, in Alexander Street, New Amsterdam, members of the Community Policing Group (CPG) on mobile patrol saw her in company with a male who fled, leaving her alone.
She was escorted to Central Police Station and it was discovered that she was under the age of 14 years.
In her last court appearance, she pleaded guilty to wandering.