News Americas, New York, NY, May 7, 2025: The Guyana Police Force, (GPF) has reaffirmed its commitment to a transparent and thorough investigation into the tragic death of 11-year-old Guyanese pre-teen, Adriana Younge, following a confidential meeting today, Tuesday, May 7, 2025, with the legal representatives and relatives of the late teen.
Held at the request of Attorney Dr. Dexter Todd, the meeting took place in the Commissioner’s Board Room and was attended by Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, Deputy Commissioners Budhram and McBean, Superintendent Baird, Head of the Office of Professional Responsibility, alongside Attorneys-at-Law Dexter Todd and Eusi Anderson.
The GPF described the meeting as a meaningful engagement aimed at addressing questions and concerns from Younge’s family and emphasized that it was conducted in a spirit of good faith. Some inquiries were addressed during the session, while others, due to the sensitive and evolving nature of the case, will be answered in writing after further consultation with the investigative team.
Police officials reiterated their pledge to keeping the family informed through appropriate legal channels while balancing the need to preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
Key updates shared at the meeting included:
The investigation remains active, with all leads and evidence being pursued diligently.
Water samples from the swimming pool, where Younge was found, have been sent overseas for independent forensic testing.
Senior-level oversight is in place to ensure impartiality and thoroughness in the investigative process.
Information withheld during the meeting was done so only to avoid compromising the investigation.
The GPF acknowledged Dr. Todd’s prior service within the Force and underscored the importance of safeguarding sensitive details until they can be responsibly disclosed.
The meeting comes amid national outcry over the death of the 11-year-old, whose body was found in a hotel swimming pool on April 24, at at the Double Day Hotel in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, hours after she was reported missing. The incident has triggered widespread outrage, mass protests, and intensified calls for justice, prompting President Irfaan Ali to repeatedly urge calm and national unity.
“The destruction of public infrastructure and private property, burning of vehicles, and inconveniencing others is not what we want to demonstrate as a people and as a nation,” President Ali stated as tensions mounted across the country.
An autopsy conducted by three internationally recognized forensic pathologists – Dr. Glenn Rudner, Dr. Shubhakar Karra Paul, and Dr. Gary Collins – determined that she died by drowning. The exam found no signs of physical or sexual trauma. However, due to the body’s state of decomposition, the exact time of death could not be determined, and toxicology results remain pending.
Despite these findings, public skepticism has grown. Civil society groups, political leaders, and diaspora activists have called for an independent international investigation, raising concerns over the credibility of the official inquiry and questioning President Ali’s assertion that there was no evidence of “forceful drowning.”
To contain growing unrest, the Guyanese government had imposed a nightly curfew from 12:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. The measure, also intended to safeguard public order around Adrianna’s funeral and the start of CXC examinations, was accompanied by warnings of stricter enforcement if disruptions continue.
The young girl’s funeral, initially planned for May 5, was postponed by her grieving family. In a heartfelt message on Facebook, her mother, Amecia Simon, explained the decision: “Due to ongoing matters and our family’s need for space and clarity as we grieve, we have made the painful decision to postpone Adriana’s funeral today. Please know this was not easy, but we want to honor her with the peace, love and the dignity she deserves.”
As the investigation proceeds, President Ali has pledged transparency and a full review of the protocols surrounding Adrianna’s death. “Her death must serve as a reminder of our need for national unity,” he said.
Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton of the People’s National Congress Reform, (PNCR) has condemned the looting and violence that occurred in the aftermath of the child’s death, but emphasized his party’s full support for the pursuit of justice. “We do not support the looting or destruction of property. We are fully in support of the struggle for justice,” Norton declared.
Calls for accountability have also echoed across the Caribbean Diaspora. In Brooklyn, New York, a candlelight vigil was held in Adrianna’s honor. Organized by Rickford Burke of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy and Bonita Montique of the United Bridge Builders Mission, the event drew heartfelt pleas for systemic police reform.
“She was only a child,” said activist Melissa Atwell Holder. “They say she drowned – but did she drown in that pool? Because that pool was searched, over and over again. And she wasn’t there. So we ask: when did she die? And how?”
As a nation mourns and demands answers, Adrianna’s family has promised to announce a new funeral date “once we are able to,” her mother noted.
