…after mothers neglected them
Several West Demerara children have been placed in alternative care after their mothers were found to have neglected them.
A 25-year-old mother of four and a 16-year-old mother of two once again appeared at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Fazil Azeez recently after being charged previously with neglect of their children.
The 25-year-old, who is a domestic worker of Best Village, West Coast Demerara had pleaded not guilty to the charge. According to the particulars in her case, on January 8 at Best Village being the guardian of her four children (three males, one female), she wilfully ill-treated them in a manner so as to cause unnecessary suffering to their health. She had left the children, the eldest of whom was five years old, alone at home when she went to work, this newspaper was told.
The female and the youngest male were placed in the Convalescent Home while the two eldest boys have been placed in the Shaheed Boys and Girls Orphanage; a Probation Officer informed the court.
Meantime, in the 16-year-old mother’s case, the particulars state that on January 12 at Plantain Walk, WBD, being the guardian of a female child, she wilfully ill-treated the child in a manner so as to cause unnecessary suffering to her health. The child is two months old. The teenager is also the mother of a one-year-old girl but the toddler lives with her grandfather.
According to reports, the teenager had abandoned the two-month-old baby at the Vreed-en-Hoop junction, where she was found by a boy. A resident reported the matter to the police. Following investigations, the charge was instituted. When the matter was first called, the 16-year-old was remanded into custody.
A relative of the child’s father was given custody of the baby. Warnings were issued by the magistrate to both of the mothers and the matters were concluded.
