THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) has responded to “misinformation’ attributed to retired policeman Paul Slowe about the Adriana Younge investigation, which was published in the Thursday edition of the Kaieteur News.

According to the publication, Slowe said there were key pieces of evidence that suggest that the 11-year-old girl did not drown in the pool of the Double Day Hotel.

The Police Force in a press release rubbished this opinion emphasising that it has relied on facts, evidence and expert/professional opinions which have all confirmed that the girl died by drowning and that there was no foul play involved in her death.

The following is the full statement issued by the GPF rebutting Slowe’s comments:

“THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) has taken note of the misguided, ill-informed and seemingly calculated utterances of former Assistant Commissioner Paul Slowe during his latest vitriolic attack on the Police Force, this time with regards to discrediting the final post-mortem report submitted by the three internationally renowned Pathologists to investigators.

Slowe, in an article in today’s (Thursday) Kaieteur News, criticised the credibility of the GPF’s final autopsy report on the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge, calling it ‘the biggest cover-up in the recent history of the Guyana Police Force.’

The Police Force would like to point out that its report, released on May 27th, 2025 under the caption: “PATHOLOGISTS WHO CONDUCTED AUTOPSY FIND ‘NO SIGNS OF FOUL PLAY’ IN DROWNING IS 11-YEAR-OLD ADRIANA YOUNGE –Final Post-Mortem Report submitted to Police”,
was a tangible reflection of the GPF’s unwavering commitment to providing the media and public with a timely update on the findings of the PME. It is apt to note that the GPF reported the findings of the final PME report on the very day that the report was submitted.

The certified findings from the autopsy confirmed that Adriana’s death was consistent with drowning, and no evidence of trauma, assault, or any other criminal activity was found.

The KN article stated that Slowe ‘strongly disagreed’ with the conclusions and timing of the report from the three international pathologists: Dr. Shubhakar Karra Paul (Barbados), Dr. Gary Collins (Delaware, USA), and Dr. Glenn Rudner (Mount Sinai Hospital, USA).

According to Slowe, key pieces of evidence suggest that Adriana did not drown in the pool where her body was found.

Persons like Slowe, Clinton Conway, et al, have the unbridled freedom and luxury to jump on social media platforms and spew whatever misinformation or agenda they have, many times on matters that are beyond their realm of professional expertise, much less comprehension. On the other hand, the Guyana Police Force – now in its 184th year – does not insinuate or speculate; the GPF deals strictly with facts, evidence and expert/professional opinions.

Upon learning of the incident, the Guyana Police Force launched a thorough investigation. The child’s family raised several concerns, citing her ability to swim and alleging the possibility of sexual assault, forced drowning elsewhere, and ritualistic activity. These concerns were taken seriously and fully explored in collaboration with forensic experts.

Also, with regards to the final PME report, there is absolutely ‘no coverup’ by the Police Force, as erroneously insinuated by Paul Slowe, who is accused of two counts of sexual assault against a member of the Guyana Police Force. How could Slowe accuse the GPF of a cover-up when the release was merely stating the findings of the three pathologists? Has the definition of cover-up escaped his mind?

For the record, we would like to reiterate the key findings of the comprehensive postmortem examination, including toxicology and DNA testing, which include:

No signs of acute injury or trauma were present.

Toxicology results showed ethanol levels consistent with postmortem decomposition.

Sexual assault kit and DNA analysis for potential suspects were negative.

Skin and airway changes were in line with prolonged submersion and drowning.

There was no evidence of restraint, struggle, removal, and return of the body.

The Pathologists concluded that Adriana Younge drowned, likely sank to the bottom of the pool, and later surfaced due to natural decomposition processes common in tropical climates.

Moreover, the above findings support an earlier report submitted by Mr. Leonard McCoshan (retired) Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigator who concluded that there is “no evidence of foul play by persons named or unnamed during the investigation.”

The detectives are currently preparing the investigative case file for submission to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for her perusal and legal opinion.

Once again, the Guyana Police Force extends heartfelt condolences to the Younge family and remains committed to transparency and justice.