…to meet with families, visit crime scene
In accordance with the wishes of the affected families, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is facilitating the visit to Guyana of Dr. Luis Fondebrider, the Director of the Argentine Team of Forensic Anthropology (EAAF) to Guyana. The purpose of the visit is to assess whether the EAAF may be able to support the efforts of the Guyana Police Force in their investigations of the deaths of the three youths in West Coast Berbice.
The visit will take place from December 12-16th, 2020. The main components of the visit will be meeting the families, visiting the crime scene, meeting with investigators and police personnel as well as briefing appropriate Government and diplomatic representatives, GHRA said in a release Saturday.
As a result of the visit, the EAAF will determine whether and to what degree they may be able to support the Guyana Police Force in its investigations. If that conclusion is positive the modalities of how it may be implemented will be addressed.
During his visit Dr. Fondebrider will also hold a Zoom meeting with representatives of official and civic organizations engaged with the problem of violent deaths of women. The EAAF have developed protocols for the investigation of femicide – the violent deaths of women by men. The purpose of that session will be to explore the possibility of capacity-building in this area in the future, GHRA addes.
Dr. Fondebrider will also give a public presentation on the work of the EAAF. That presentation will take place in the Catholic Cathedral on the corner of Brickdam and Camp Street on Tuesday, December 15th from 5.30 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. The Cathedral is an appropriate venue in terms of safely accommodating COVID-19 protocols.
Dr. Fondebrider was one of the speakers at the Conference on Truth and Justice, In Search of Reconciliation in Suriname held in Paramaribo in 1998 by the Justice & Peace Organization and the Inter-American Institute for Human Rights. At the time he was a staff member of the EAAF.
Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Geeta Chandan-Edmond last month gave notice that she intends to table a motion at the next sitting of the National Assembly condemning the brutal murders of Isaiah Henry, Joel Henry and Haresh Sing and to call upon law enforcement to bring the killers to justice.
It has been over two months since the mutilated bodies of the Henry boys were found in Region Five, West Coast Berbice (WCB) and that of Singh, not far from his home. Though investigations are ongoing, relatives of the Henry boys have expressed frustration that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) appears to be operating in a lethargic fashion. Their cries for justice have slowly been turning into cries of fear that the case will be eventually brushed beneath the carpet.
“…to date these horrific deaths which are of public importance, concern and welfare remain substantially uninvestigated and have been rendered inconclusive by the Guyana Police Force…since the Guyana Police Force performs in a manner so egregiously incompetent that the Administration is likely to be brought into ridicule, contempt or greater disrepute. Be it resolved: That the National Assembly condemns the killing of the three Citizens aforementioned, and extends sincerest condolences to the families of the deceased and expresses it concerns about the state of the Police investigations into these murders… that the National Assembly calls upon the Guyana Police Force to expedite the investigations and bring to justice the perpetrators of these gruesome and barbaric murders,” the motion states.
Chandan Edmond’s motion highlights that the period of September 6-9 2020 will go down in Guyana’s history as the period when unspeakable crimes left the nation numb and in a state of shock and sadness.
The former Magistrate cited Article 138(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana which states that no person shall be deprived of his life intentionally save in the execution of the sentence of a court in respect of an offence under the Laws of Guyana of which he has been convicted.
She noted that both the diplomatic community and civil society have also unequivocally condemned the brutal killings and added that the people’s elected representatives should discuss and are obliged to consider the grave threats to the public welfare and public security as a result.
“…these brutal, senseless, barbaric, depraved and horrific killings have caused untold pain, agony, grief, anguish, anger and despair to the surviving family members, fellow villagers and the entire Guyanese community…these brutal and horrific killings have evoked unequivocal condemnation from all Guyanese, living in Guyana and in the diaspora,” the motion states.
