An East Bank Berbice mother of two was placed on $50,000 bail when she was charged with child neglect yesterday at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court.
Kamila Henry, 24, of Lot 750 Glasgow Housing Scheme, East Bank Berbice appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore where she pleaded not guilty to the charge of child neglect.
The charge stated that on Monday, February 5th, at Glasgow Housing Scheme, being the mother and caretaker of her two children, ages seven and four, she willfully contributed to her children being in need of protective intervention.
Police Prosecutor, Lennox Poliah, objected to bail based on the grounds that it was not the first time that Henry had left her children unattended.
According to the prosecutor, the children’s grandmother had previously reported that the children were left alone with their mother’s whereabouts not known to anyone.
Poliah also highlighted that since the inside of Henry’s house was seriously damaged in the fire, she may no longer have a permanent abode for herself and children.
He also objected to bail over the possibility of Henry fleeing the jurisdiction. He further noted, that despite Henry being present in the jurisdiction at the time of the fire, she had still opted to go into hiding.
Henry’s attorney, Joel Edmond was not present in court but in her own defence she said that she panicked and fled the scene.
Magistrate Moore placed the young mother on $50,000 bail while ordering her to report to the Sisters Police Station every Wednesday during the morning hours.
She will appear in court next on March 26th.On Monday around 9.30 pm the inside of the upper flat of the house where Henry’s two minor children were left home alone caught afire.
Before neighbours could render assistance, the woman’s daughter, 7, had tied her brother, 4, in a sheet and lowered him to the ground through a window on the upper flat of the house. In order to save herself, the girl while using the sheet for assistance, jumped from the window, and injured herself in the process.
She was taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where she was treated for a fractured tibia.
Residents had claimed that Henry arrived at the scene of the fire in a car and then left.
