…President deeply saddened

PRESIDENT David Granger said he is deeply saddened to learn of the death of 13-year-old Leonard Archibald, who was allegedly raped and then dumped into the Berbice River where he was found dead a few days after.

In a message of condolence, the Guyanese head of state said: “Leonard went missing last

week on his way home from a party. His lifeless body was discovered two days ago. The teen, who has been described as a helpful and willing child by his mother, was a student of the Overwinning Primary School.” President Granger extends sincere condolences to his mother, Ms. Abigail Archibald, his siblings, other relatives and friends.

Meanwhile, Archibald was laid to rest following a moving church service where Senior Probabtion and Child Protection Officer, Mitford Ward, said that there needs to be a higher level of awareness with respect to protecting our children. He said “If the perpetrators’ behaviour was known by so many in this community, for so many years, what did we do to protect our children, and what did we do as a community to help him [the main suspect] to reform his evil ways?”

The funeral service was held at the teen’s home at Brothers Village, East Bank Berbice. A white coffin bearing his remains, with a photograph perched at the top, was rolled into the yard by the pall-bearers as mourners wept. The funeral service was initially planned to be held at the Brothers Outstation of Grace Temple Assemblies of God Church, but the family was informed by the undertakers, that because of the state of decomposition, it would be wise to hold a short service before the stench rose.

As a result, the service commenced just after 11:00hrs, mere minutes before the arrival of the corpse, which was not displayed for public viewing. On Saturday, September 23, last, the partial skeletal remains belonging to Archibald were discovered off the river bank at Korthberaadt Village, East Bank Berbice, six days after he went missing. His bicycle was taken out of the Berbice river mere hours before, ending days of community searches. Two men remain in police custody for the attack.

Meanwhile, Warde was quick to remind those gathered, which include Regional Chairman Permaul David Armoogan, Regional Education Officer Ms Volika Jaikissoon and other educators, that the death Archibald suffered was not the first for the village. He said on December 27, 2012, Devon Lewis was killed because he refused to have an unnatural relationship with his step-uncle, Roy Lewis. The youth was asleep with his girlfriend at her home at Back Street, Sisters Village, East Bank Berbice, when the now convicted Roy Lewis stabbed him. Lewis has since confessed to a manslaughter charge and was sentenced to 26 years imprisonment by Justice Franklyn Holder.

Continuing, Warde questioned, “Are we going to allow these experiences to force us to go back to our normal state without us doing something? Every Guyanese is a child protector. We must break the cycle of child abuse,” exhorted the social worker.

In adding his voice to the incident, Regional Chairman Armogan described the incident as the most gruesome and cruel act of a man against a man. “This act, which perhaps the systems of slavery did not know such cruelty, has sent shock waves around the country and our region must not be known for this kind of behaviour,” he warned, while noting that the act must be condemned by every right-thinking Guyanese.

“Our region should be peaceful, where people are free to walk around and move as they like. I do not believe it has to do with parents or the child. I believe they did what they could have done to protect. But in the circumstances there was a depraved mind. If we had taken precaution [sic] after the previous incident, then we could have avoided a re-occurrence, but we did not do that. Maybe we are all at fault, the neighbourhood too…we need to take back our community,” Armogan stated.

Regional Education Officer, Ms Jaikissoon, reiterated the call for parents and civil society to protect the children and to desist from settling criminal matters or ‘covering up’ incidents under the carpet. “We must act so as to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

In the same vein, Community Relations Officer and former Mayor of New Amsterdam, Ms Barbara Pilgrim Roberts, reminded those present of the old adage, “it takes a community to raise a child” and as such, they should be on the lookout for each other.

After a sermon by Pastor Trevor Braithwaithe, a prayer for the family by Rev Doreen Henry and a song ‘Mary and Martha’ rendered by a class mate, the remains of Leonard Archibald were interred at Longsdale Village Cemetery. An autopsy conducted on his body could not determine the real cause of death. Police have since been ordered to conduct further investigations into the incident.