As detectives await advice from the Director of Public Prosecution’s (DPP) Shalimar Hack, a joint team has ordered that the daycare which is responsible for the death of a seven-month old infant, be closed immediately.
Guyana Standard was informed by a source close to the investigation that the children’s Centre operated for almost 30 years. But what was alarming, according to the source, was that the facility operated under the radar. The proprietors never even applied for a licence to operate.
“There are usually inspections done on daycares maybe once or twice a year. And had it been done, there are certain safety measures that (would have been recommended to be) in place. The circumstances of this infant’s death proves that none of these measures were in place; not even a protocol (for safe treatment of children) was in place. They were clearly not monitoring this infant and that is a lesson for us all, ” The source said.
Yesterday, police in a statement said that a joint team, including the Childcare and Protection Agency, and the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security have looked at all angles of the investigation with the view of implementing measures to prevent another incident of this nature.
This news outlet understands that the proprietor of the now-former daycare was released after being arrested for questioning. He was released on station bail and ordered to report to the Sparendaam Police Station, ECD, on a daily basis.
Seven-month-old Oriyah Gravesande suffocated and died at a private daycare at Ogle on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) last week. Twenty-four hours later, an autopsy revealed that she died of haemorrage and suffocation. The mother of the infant also last week told this news outlet that she believes her baby was murdered. Investigation into the matter continues.
