TWO men were on Wednesday arraigned in the New Amsterdam Magistrates Court for the alleged rape and murder of 13-year-old Leonard Archibald.
The men appeared before Senior Magistrate Alex Moore. Alleged mastermind Hillary Edwards, 29, and Obediah Nicholas Christopher, 19 years, both of Brothers Village, East Bank of Berbice, were not required to plead to the capital offence, which was laid separately against them.
Particulars of the charge stated that between Sunday, September 17, and 23, respectively, they unlawfully killed Leonard Archibald. Attorney-at-law Arun Gossai ,who held the brief for Senior Attorney Mursaline Bacchus, reminded the court that his client Obediah Christopher was a stray offender and as such requested an early hearing. The other defendant Hillary Edwards was unrepresented by counsel.

Police Inspector Godfrey Playter asked the court for an adjournment, as additional time is needed to complete certain aspects of the investigations. December 8 was given as the adjourned date.

Meanwhile, outside of the courtroom, tempers flared, after Obediah Christopher screamed at his parents Peter Christopher and Sunita Motilall, who were standing amongst the scores of onlookers. “I am innocent! I am innocent! I did not do this! Fight for me mummy. Fight for me in the court,” the young man yelled. His mother’s eyes were filled with tears as her elder son was transported to the New Amsterdam Prison. The father of the deceased, Walter Archibald, in an invited comment said he was satisfied with the commencement of the prosecution process and he expects that justice will be served. The parents or relatives of Hillary Edwards were not present at the court hearing.
Archibald was laid to rest on Tuesday. President David Granger in a message said he is deeply saddened to learn of the teenager who was allegedly raped and then dumped into the Berbice River where he was found dead a few days after. 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.

At the church service, Senior Probation 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?”

In adding his voice to the incident, Region Six Chairman David 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.