Although three men have been charged with the murders of West Coast Berbice (WCB) teenagers Joel and Isaiah Henry, relatives of the youths staged a protest outside the Office of the President yesterday calling for justice and expressing disquiet over the investigation thus far.
The relatives carried placards which read “we still need justice for the Henry boys. We are still waiting on justice for the Henry boys”, “Mr President please don’t forget your promise to us. ‘I would not leave no stones unturn’” and “We need the killers. Not random persons. All in the name of justice”.
They chanted “No justice, no peace”.
Isaiah, 16, a student at the Woodley Park Secondary School and Joel, 18, who worked at the Blairmont Estate, went missing on Saturday, September 5th, 2020 after they left home for the Cotton Tree backlands to pick coconuts.
After they did not return home, relatives lodged missing persons’ reports with the police and subsequently launched a search. It was while searching that the bodies of the teens were discovered.
Autopsies performed on the bodies of the teenagers showed that they both died from haemorrhage and shock due to multiple wounds.
Three men Vinod Gopaul, Anil Sancharra and Akash Singh were charged on January 15th this year in relation to the crime and remanded to prison.
The men were arrested by the police on January 10th and 11th. One of them allegedly provided the police with a statement, which was video recorded, detailing his involvement in the crime.
“We are not only looking for people to confess but we are looking for evidence,” Isaiah’s father, Gladston Henry told reporters.
Meanwhile, Isaiah’s mother, Patricia Henry is calling on the police to also apprehend all those involved in the crime including the alleged mastermind/s. “We don’t need the small fishes alone. We need their boss,” she said.
“How long I ain’t get justice, I ain’t go come off the streets,” she added.
Joel’s mother, Gail Johnson told reporters that “enough is enough”.
They gave us enough assurance and onto now they just making us a fool but we are not fools…..We have to get justice. We are going to demand it,” Gail stated.
Two Mondays ago, the family had also protested outside the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary.
After the three men were charged, President Irfaan Ali had expressed “full” confidence in the Guyana Police Force, whose work he had said has led to the charges being laid.
