Police have launched an investigation into the death of a two-year-old girl yesterday in South Haslington, East Coast Demerara. A male relative of the girl was taken into custody.
Dead is two-year-old Kimanie Watson, of Lot 46 South Haslington. According to relatives the toddler collapsed with a sudden bout of diarrhoea and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she died. However, Police launched the investigation under suspicion that the child may have been the victim of sexual abuse.
Villagers said that they were thrown into shock yesterday afternoon when several police barged into the street and arrested several of Watson’s relatives. When Stabroek News visited the home today it was told that several of Kimanie’s relatives were at the Cove and John Police Station, assisting with investigations.
A relative said that the toddler would usually be left at home with her grandmother. However, on the day of her death she was left in the care of the male relative who is now in custody and her great grandmother, who is blind. “Her great grandmother was in the house but she can’t say nothing ’cause she’s blind…same as we. We don’t know what happen…all we can do is wait for the post mortem. We ain’t get a clue…just like everyone else,” the relative related, adding that the toddler was carried to the hospital after she started having continuous diarrhoea.
“It’s a sad thing that happen to the child…only them that living in that yard can say what happen,” a neighbour said, adding that he was sitting outside in his yard when he heard a commotion in the Watsons’ yard. He recalled hearing the male relative now in custody hollering for someone, saying “Come see…come see what happen to this child!”
He said later that afternoon police came and carried away three relatives. Two of them were released today.
Kimanie and her family returned from Trinidad early last month. She was born in Trinidad.
The post mortem is set to be conducted later this week.