15-Y-O female in police lockups for 2 weeks; mother begs Gov’t intervention
[www.inewsguyana.com] – The family of a 15 – year – old girl are calling on the relevant authorities to look into their situation with some urgency after the teenager has been locked up at the Whim Police Station, Corentyne Berbice for almost two weeks now.
The young lady is in custody as a result of a physical altercation she had with another girl. According to reports, the teenager of Rose Hall Town, was attempting to defend her pregnant sister, who came under attack, when the altercation took place.
She was later charged and placed before the Albion Magistrate’s court, where she was remanded to the New Opportunity Corps in Dennis Street, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, but she is yet to be transported to the facility.
Meanwhile, the decision to remand the teen is not sitting well with her mother, Bridgette Moore, who told iNews that her daughter has not been eating due to the conditions she has been forced to inhabit at the Whim Police Station.
According to the distraught mother, the teen has been crying uncontrollably. The mother remains shocked at the court’s decision, stating that her teenage daughter is being treated worse than a criminal for her first offence.
The woman explained that during her daughter’s court appearance, the Probation Officer, Maize Shepherd recommended that the 15 – year – old be sent to the rehabilitation center in Sophia but Moore has refused to hand over the child’s birth certificate, stating that is not going to give the State custody of her minor female child.
“I feel hurt about this; me daughter ain’t eating nothing, everything we send, she sending it back…I make my children and regardless of what my belly does burn for them,” the woman told iNews.
