The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has issued a strongly worded statement condemning the government’s handling of the Adrianna Younge investigation, warning that continued evasiveness and obstruction by authorities are eroding public trust and fuelling national unrest.
In a public statement released Monday, May 13, 2025, the GHRA expressed “grave concern” over what it described as the unresolved and opaque circumstances surrounding the 11-year-old’s death, and the growing disbelief in official narratives issued by the Guyana Police Force and government officials.
“The dominant theme driving national unrest is not merely the tragic nature of the death itself, but the deepening disbelief in statements and actions issued by the police and government,” the GHRA said.
A Crisis of Credibility
Adrianna Younge was found dead in the pool of the Double Day Hotel in Tuschen, East Bank Essequbo on April 24—nearly 20 hours after being reported missing by her family. The initial police claim that she had exited the premises in a red vehicle has since been discredited by private surveillance footage, prompting accusations of misinformation and negligence.
According to the GHRA, the government’s stated policy of limiting its public commentary to “known facts” has become circular and disingenuous, since “the missing facts lie within the purview of the very agencies—namely the police and government—that claim to be restrained by them.”
The statement cited several troubling issues: evasive conduct around hotel surveillance footage, limited press access to autopsy results, and inconsistent public messaging. These actions, the GHRA said, suggest a pattern of obstruction rather than transparency.
Political Implications and a Warning from History
The rights group also cautioned that public frustration could be further exacerbated by political manipulation in the run-up to national elections. While acknowledging that it would be reckless to draw firm conclusions about political motives without evidence, the GHRA said the government’s failure to provide clear information “encourages such thinking.”
The statement also referenced the unresolved 2020 murders of Isaiah and Joel Henry and Haresh Singh as a cautionary tale. In that case, initial collaboration with the Latin American Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) was ultimately derailed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, denying the investigation vital forensic expertise. The GHRA warned against repeating this failure in the Younge case.
Technical Skill Must Be Matched by Political Will
The GHRA called for a transparent, inclusive, and technically competent investigation — one that includes international forensic support, public updates, and direct engagement with the affected family and civil society.
Since the public cannot be expected to accept conclusions delivered solely by an institution that has thus far relied on evasion, misinformation, and selective enforcement, a new form of flexible and imaginative cooperation is required, the statement said.
In particular, the GHRA urged the diplomatic community, including missions from the United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), and European Union (EU) — which have already called for calm — to support efforts that prioritize both technical expertise and public transparency.
A Democratic Obligation
The GHRA emphasised that resolving the case is not just about forensics or politics, but about upholding the democratic rights of citizens.
“Adrianna Younge’s family — and indeed the nation — has a right to a transparent investigation of their daughter’s death,” the group stated. “The commitment to democracy also requires that the results of such an intervention are communicated fully and directly by the experts involved.”
The GHRA’s statement adds weight to calls from across civil society for urgent, credible, and public action, with growing agreement that this cannot be achieved without an independent international investigation.
