THE tragedy of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge’s death at the Double Day Hotel in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, has shaken Guyana to its core, exposing cracks in systems that were meant to protect our children and uphold public confidence.

With the probe still underway, a senior police official suspended and others detained, the nation remains shocked and outraged.
From the start, the Guyana Police Force’s handling of Adrianna’s disappearance and death has been clouded by vagueness and contradiction. Initial police accounts, now recognised as having been false, reported abduction, and referred to surveillance footage not yet made public.

The pleas of the family for the hotel to be closed down were ignored, and the inexplicable delay in finding Adrianna’s body, even after numerous searches, leaves sobering questions regarding the thoroughness and honesty of the initial police response.

The decision to send Assistant Commander Mandall on administrative leave, and the arrest of several officers are necessary steps. The people of Guyana deserve answers, accountability, and reform.

President Irfaan Ali’s swift call for a special investigative team, and the involvement of an independent international pathologist were commendable moves towards transparency.
Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo’s “no rest” until the facts are known encapsulates the country’s mood: There must be sanctions at all levels if there is a cover-up or wrongdoing.
Adrianna’s family’s loss is incalculable, and their call for justice is a call to battle for the country at large. As the bereaved fathers put it, “I want justice for my daughter!”

Their tragedy is compounded because they know that stronger police action could have made the difference between saving her life. This is not just a personal tragedy; it’s a national crisis requiring systemic change.

This is a moment that must be a turning point. The Guyana Police Force must reform its internal communications, evidence procedures, and response protocols, especially in child cases. The public must not only witness justice being served, but witness it being served transparently, expeditiously, and equitably.

The death of Adrianna cannot be undone, but justice must be delivered. Her memory should spur us to work towards a better society where no parent dreads for their child’s life, and where those who have the public’s trust to protect it are worthy of it.