The grieving family of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge, whose lifeless body was discovered at the Double Day Hotel on April 24, is calling for an international investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death, citing gross negligence by the Guyana Police Force and a lack of trust in the government’s proposed response.
Attorney-at-law Darren P. W. Wade, who is now representing the family, met with Adrianna’s parents and her aunt Ameka Lewis on Thursday. Wade confirmed that the family is devastated not only by the child’s tragic passing but also by the way the authorities handled the case from the outset.
According to Wade, Adrianna was reported missing on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, while at the Double Day Hotel in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.
Her family made repeated pleas to the Guyana Police Force to conduct a full search of the hotel and surrounding premises, but those requests were reportedly ignored for several critical hours.
“Despite the urgency of the situation involving a missing child, the police initially refused to carry out a sweep of the building and compound,” Wade stated. He further revealed that attempts were made to escalate the matter by contacting the Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken, but those calls went unanswered. Wade noted that at that hour, the Commissioner may have been resting, but the lack of response in a matter this urgent is of concern
The family has expressed deep disappointment over the police’s handling of the case, accusing the force of issuing a “misleading and false statement” suggesting that Adrianna had been seen leaving the hotel in a vehicle, an assertion they believe to be unsubstantiated and suspicious.
As a result, Wade said the family no longer has confidence in the Guyana Police Force’s ability to conduct a fair and transparent investigation. They feel ignored, misled, and betrayed, the attorney pointed out.
The family has now made several formal demands, including:
- An international probe into the circumstances surrounding Adrianna Younge’s death.
- The engagement of an independent pathologist, selected without interference from the government.
- Immediate public release of any CCTV footage the police claim shows Adrianna leaving the hotel.
- A full disclosure of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) followed by police after the report was filed.
- A rejection of President Irfaan Ali’s proposal to have the Commissioner of Police lead a special investigative team into the case.
Wade also stated that the police have requested to speak with Adrianna’s father, but any such interview will only take place in the presence of legal counsel.
The family’s firm rejection of the President’s proposed approach comes amid growing public scrutiny of the government’s broader handling of law enforcement and justice. “This is not just about one case. It is about the system,” Wade emphasised.
He stressed that the family’s demands are rooted in a desire for real accountability, not political appeasement. They demand “transparency, accountability, and justice in the handling of this tragic matter,” Wade said.
The case has already sparked national outrage and renewed calls for police reform. With pressure mounting and public trust in the authorities waning, the coming days will likely determine whether the government meets the family’s demands or risks further erosion of credibility in the eyes of a grieving public that has lived strategies of this nature too often.
