Following the allegation by a 14-year-old that he was sexually abused by a care giver at the Berbice Anjuman Orphanage in New Amsterdam, five boys were removed from the institution and are now in the custody of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA).
A statement from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security announced the children’s removal from the home after the child had made the allegation to his parent.
The report was received at the CC&PA on May 28, and the agency, the statement said, removed the boys to facilitate an investigation. Stabroek News understands that the 14-year-old fled the orphanage and reported the alleged abuse to his mother, who immediately contacted the authorities. The child also alleged that the five other boys may have suffered a similar fate and this resulted in them being moved into protective care.
It is hoped that trust would be developed between the children and their caregivers and they would open up about the incident. The accused person was arrested by the police but released after the mandatory 72 hours a person can legally be held in custody without the intervention of the court expired but police are continuing their investigation.
Reports indicated that the persons in charge of the orphanage are cooperating fully in the investigation.
