Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday stated that while the autopsy for 11-year-old Adriana Younge is complete, the family deserves answers in relation to her death.

Dr Jagdeo was at the time speaking at his weekly press conference at Freedom House, during which he noted that a thorough investigation into this matter is needed.

He stated, that he believes more than anything else that the family needs the truth.  While Preliminary outcomes from the forensic autopsy confirmed Younge’s cause of death as drowning, it now needs to be established how she died and whether there was foul play involved or not.

“We have a duty to thoroughly investigate this matter,” he affirmed.

On Monday evening it was announced that Adriana died as a result of drowning, according to an official forensic autopsy done by top international forensic experts: Dr. Glenn A. Rudner from Mount Sinai Hospital, New York; Dr. Gary L. Collins, Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Delaware (appointed by Adriana’s family) and Dr. Shubhakar Karra Paul, the government-appointed international pathologist from Barbados.

Younge’s body was discovered on April 24 in a pool at the Double Day Hotel in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, hours after she was reported missing, the prior day after a visit to the hotel with family members.

Several searches were carried out at the hotel’s pool with no sign of the child, and as such, when the body appeared mysteriously, it sparked outrage, which led to protest actions and calls for justice as foul play was suspected.

Last Saturday, Police Commissioner, Clifton Hicken, announced that Assistant Commissioner Khalid Mandall, Commander of Regional Division 3, has been placed on administrative leave.

He was first transferred to Division 4B, before he was sent on leave. Assistant Commissioner Mahindra Siewnarine has since been posted to oversee the division of Region Three.

Mandall has come in for severe criticism over the way he handled the case when Adriana was first reported missing.

According to Hicken, several other police ranks are also under close arrest as investigations continue.

President Ali had also confirmed that the owner of the hotel and staff remain in police custody, while the Top Cop revealed that interviews are ongoing, with several individuals who may aid in the investigation.

According to initial police reports, she was last seen at the hotel on Wednesday afternoon (April 23), where she had gone swimming with her siblings, under the supervision of her grandmother.

The police initially said that surveillance footage showed Adriana leaving the hotel and entering a red-and-black Toyota Raum motorcar, PSS 4684, which was said to be heading in the direction of Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

The police said the vehicle was rented to a man they only identified as Orlando. At that point, the case was being treated as a suspected abduction. Although extensive searches were conducted on Wednesday, Adriana was not located.

Police said the hotel’s management claimed its surveillance cameras were not working, further complicating the investigation. However, it remains unclear whether police officers independently verified the status of the cameras.

Public outrage intensified last Thursday following the gruesome discovery of Adriana’s body in the pool.

Calls mounted for the release of the video showing her entering the vehicle, and citizens questioned the thoroughness of the initial investigation.

In a subsequent statement, the police admitted that elements of its earlier communication regarding the alleged abduction were inaccurate.

They stated that preliminary investigations revealed discrepancies in the initial report, prompting an internal review of the communication processes that led to its release.

The police have reassured the public that a comprehensive investigation is underway, not only into Adriana’s death but also into the missteps in communication.

Adriana had recently completed the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), and was eagerly awaiting her results, which are scheduled for release in June.