MR. Abu Bakkar Mandal, the Canadian citizen who owns the Berbice Anjuman Orphanage at Lot 30 Philadelphia Street in New Amsterdam, has refuted allegations peddled in the Kaieteur Newspaper that a child had been sodomized at the children’s home.

Claiming to be unaware of the reasons why officials from the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) took into their custody five boys from the orphanage who are all under ten years old, Mandal has invited sections of the print media to visit the Orphanage in order to ‘clear the air’, after the Kaieteur News, in its June 5, edition, had published an article entitled ‘Students flee New Amsterdam Orphanage, claim sexual assault.’

Apparently disturbed by publication of the article, Mandal said one of his charges, ‘Akash’, had raised allegations of being sexually molested; but “the allegation is not true!” Mr Mandal emphasised.

“After (Akash) had left the orphanage, he subsequently returned, on May 23 last, with a female plainclothes police officer. He was asked to identify where the incident occurred, and he pointed to a spot beside his bed. He was asked at what time the incident occurred, and he responded 7pm. He was asked if he liked it, and he responded no. He was then asked by the officer if Mr. Deen (the manager) was on his back, and he responded ‘no’,” Mr. Mandal disclosed.

Mandal said the teen claimed to have been asleep during the ordeal, and confessed to not being violated by the manager. However, following the confrontation, which was held in the presence of other officials within the Orphanage, and after he had conducted a personal investigation, Mandal said, he discovered that ‘Akash’ had been absent from the orphanage on the date he claimed he had been violated.

‘Akash’ had been earmarked to be the Muezzin performing the Azan (prayer) on the day in question, but he did not show up. “Instead, I heard another child saying the prayers; and on inquiring, I was told that Akash had left the compound and had headed in an easterly direction with a red bicycle,” Mr. Mandal said.

“A few days later, Akash’s step-father came and reported that someone had beaten Akash. At no time did he say the child was sexually molested,” Mr. Mandal declared.

“On May 27, his mother, Surajdai Premraj, came and collected a younger sister who was also staying here. When she signed for the children’s release, she did not make any allegation of sexual misconduct. I was very surprised when I saw the article in the Kaieteur News. No one came to investigate; they just took out some pictures and wrote the story.

“I am aware (there is) a medical report which supports the allegations, but it did not happen here, it happened somewhere else,” Mr. Mandal stated.

However, a report from the Vryman’s Erven Secondary School, which the teen is a student, revealed that the teen has behavioural problems. The student also has very poor cognitive ability, and cannot cope with classroom teaching.

Additionally, the student is allegedly always lost in thought, is confused during contact sessions, and exhibits qualities of an introvert. He also can be violent when provoked.

It has been recommended that the teen be taught the basic concepts by means of pictures and colours, and that he be encouraged to socialise, the report concluded.

Responding to questions posed by this reporter, Mandal said that, on May 28, he and the organisation’s secretary drove to the Special Needs School in New Amsterdam, where he had intended to uplift two students at that institution, but after some delay, he was informed by a teacher that officials from the welfare department had taken them into custody.

“No one had informed the Orphanage. We subsequently made searches, but came up empty-handed. I then left to pick up students from the St Aloysius Primary School. During this period, I received a call on my mobile phone informing me to visit the Office of the Child Protection Agency in New Amsterdam.

“On visiting, I was told that three additional children are in protective care. I was not told why the children were in protective custody. I was told that ‘Akash’ made some allegations against the manager.

“Nevertheless, despite the allegations, I and my manager are willing to submit ourselves to a polygraph test to prove our innocence,” Mandal concluded.

Contacted, a source close to the investigation informed this reporter that the police file is currently before the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The alleged perpetrator is currently on $100,000 station bail, after being detained for seventy-two hours. In addition, this newspaper was reliably informed that the five boys who were taken from two schools within the New Amsterdam environs have confirmed that they also had been sexually violated.

The underage boys reported that the named manager forced them to have oral sex with him. The alleged victims have since been taken into protective custody, and are currently out of the jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, a senior official from one of the schools observed that her charges were “once happy and extraverted children, but since the alleged incident, one has become withdrawn.”
Written By Jeune Bailey Van-Keric