Forensic pathologists have ruled out theories of forcible drowning or any other means of killing in the death of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge, President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced this evening.
Speaking at a press conference, President Ali said based on the report provided to him, the post-mortem examination (PME) concluded that Adrianna died by drowning, with no signs of physical or sexual trauma detected.
“The pathologists were unable to provide an exact exact time of death. The relatives were also informed that the pathologist ruled out theories of forcible drowning or any other means of killing…” he said. However, he noted that toxicology tests are still to be completed, and the full pathologist report will be made available once finalized.
The autopsy was conducted by a team of top international forensic experts: Dr. Glenn A. Rudner of Mount Sinai Hospital, New York; Dr. Gary L. Collins, Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Delaware (appointed by Adrianna’s family); and Dr. Shubhakar Karra Paul, the government-appointed international pathologist from Barbados.
President Ali explained that the post-mortem objectives included identifying signs of trauma or injuries, detecting signs of sexual violence, collecting forensic samples, and determining the cause of death.
The head-of-state added that due to the state of decomposition, the exact time of death could not be determined.
“So that is a brief synopsis of what information is available with me,” Ali added.
Adrianna’s body was found on April 24 in the pool of the Double Day Hotel, Tuschen East Bank Essequibo, less than 24-hours after she was reported missing. Before her body was discovered, the Guyana Police Force had issued a statement claiming she was seen leaving the hotel in a car. That claim was however disputed by her family. The GPF later said that the abduction statement was inaccurate.
While the hotel owners had claimed that their cameras at the pool were not working when the child went missing; President Ali made a call to bring systems up to date with what is required for public safety security, to ensure families and those who are using public places and public facilities are safe.
Turning to the police’s handling of the case, President Ali stressed the need for reforms across various sectors.
“I intend to bring in international and regional help to look at our existing laws, regulations and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedure) in relation to policing work, in relation to laws governing missing persons,” he said.
President Ali said that the laws, regulations and certain SOPs need immediate review with an objective of upgrading, and implementing modern standards.
He also said that how the police conducted themselves during the initial investigation must be scrutinized.
“In terms of the work of the police force, also the way in which the police conducted themselves from the time the report was made, I’m very much interested too in having that examined thoroughly,” he said.
