The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) said that it is deeply concerned that the authorities in Antigua and Barbuda have not yet resolved the matter regarding the alleged abduction of twin babies from a Guyanese national, Keoma Hymer, minutes after they were born at a hospital in Antigua on September 7, 2004, while she was intransit there.
According to the group, evidence suggests that 14 -year-old twins are alive. One allegedly resides in Antigua and the other in the US.
“It is inexplicable that this matter remains unresolved. Consequently, CGID has asked the US State Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to investigate this allegation as it potentially constitutes abduction and human trafficking,” the CGD noted in a release to the media today.
Guyana Standard understands that Hymer is a Guyanese national, from Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD), who was 19 years old and 7 months pregnant when she boarded a LIAT flight from Guyana to St. Martin on September 4, 2004. The flight transited in Antigua where she became ill. She was transported by ambulance to Holborton Hospital in St. Johns, Antigua, now renamed “Mount St. John Medical Center,” and was admitted.
“Incidentally, Ms. Hymer gave birth to identical twin girls prematurely on September 7, 2004, at Holborton Hospital. After delivery, Ms. Hamer saw her babies alive and heard them cry. She watched as a group of nurses took them away. This was witnessed by other patients. This was the last time she saw the twins. Ms. Hymer recalls that a short while after the nurses left with the twin babies, a particular nurse returned and informed her that the babies had died. Ms. Hymer expressly told the nurse that she wanted photographs, hence, she must keep the babies and hand them over to her aunt on her arrival. The babies were not handed over to Ms. Hymer’s aunt,” the group noted.
According to the CGID, no photographs were taken, nor was an account given about what happened to the twins. Shortly after this episode, Hymer’s representative returned to the hospital to pay the outstanding bill. However, hospital staff advised the representative that there was no record of Hymer’s hospitalization at the institution. Hence, they refused the payment.
The CGID alleged that the woman’s admission and medical records had disappeared.
The group released several documents to the media to support the claim that Hymer was indeed a patient at the Holborton Hospital at the time.
“Dr. Joseph A. John has certified this fact. Dr. John has also attested that he and Dr. Abbott oversaw Ms. Hymer’s care. He also detailed her medical condition and treatment; albeit his claim of the circumstance of her delivery seems inconsistent with established facts. There are also photographic and medical records of Ms. Hymer’s pregnancy and travel to Antigua. The claim that the babies had died appears to have been false. Several witnesses have attested to seeing the babies alive at birth. They allege that the babies were neither stillborn nor died after birth, but were allegedly stolen. There is strong evidence that the twins have now been identified. One allegedly lives in Gambles, Antigua, and attends Christ The King School. The other ostensibly lives in Syracuse, New York,” the CGID said.
In a letter seen by this publication purportedly sent from Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Health, Molwyn Joseph, dated June 24, 2019, Hymer was advised that the matter is under investigation.
“On December 4, 2019 Acting Police Commissioner in Antigua, Atlee Rodney, informed Hymer that the DNA tests could not exclude the purported parents as the true biological parents; albeit, the credibility of the Police DNA tests is disputable. This test was ostensibly done in July 2019. Despite numerous requests, the results remained hidden from Ms. Hymer,” the CGID wrote.
Further to that, Administrators at Foundation Mix School, where one of the identified twins previously attended, have indicated that at enrollment, a purported parent claimed that the child was adopted from the Commonwealth of Dominica.
The CGID quoted an official from the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare of the Commonwealth of Dominica as saying, “Our records do not reflect any adoption of the said child.”
“Serious questions remain unanswered. What are the names of the parents listed on the birth certificates and in which country were the certificates issued? How can a child who is allegedly adopted carry the DNA of the adopted parents? Who collected the samples and supervised the alleged DNA test? If the purported parents had indeed given birth to the twins, where is the evidence, such as photographs and medical records, of the pregnancy?” the group questioned.
CGID said that it is calling for a thorough, fair and impartial Police investigation of this matter, which potentially involves serious criminal conduct if the allegations are substantiated.
“Moreover, CGID calls on the government of Antigua & Barbuda to do everything within its power to resolve this matter urgently as it undermines public trust it its institutions. A nurse Roxan Babb-McCurdy, as well as nurse Lynette Daniels, were allegedly the nurses at Holborton Hospital and on duty at the time of Ms. Hymer’s hospitalization. We call on all persons with knowledge of the alleged abduction and trafficking to contact and cooperate with law enforcement to ensure a timely resolution of this matter,” the statement concluded.
