Two high-profile tragedies continue to cast a shadow over the Irfaan Ali administration, as grieving families accuse the government of failing to honour promises made in the aftermath of the 2023 Mahdia dormitory fire and the recent death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge.
Mahdia Dorm Fire: Mother Says Promises Were Not Kept
Valerie Carter, Martha D’Andrade and Mary D’Andrade, mother of twin girls who perished in the Mahdia Secondary School dorm fire, gave emotional testimony in the High Court this week. She is suing the State for more than $10 million, citing the psychological trauma endured by her surviving daughter.
The May 2023 blaze claimed 20 lives and drew national outrage. A subsequent commission of inquiry faulted the government for operating the dormitory without basic fire safety protocols.
Carter told the court that while President Ali and other state officials visited families after the tragedy, the support promised during those visits never materialised.
The President made promises to look out for her family, but never lived up to them, Carter said under cross-examination. While she acknowledged receiving a house in Diamond, she said consistent medical and emotional support for her daughter never came.
The surviving daughter, now in Grade Nine, also testified. She described the night of the fire, stating the house mother had the keys to the locked dormitory doors. When the fire broke out, she said, the house mother dropped the keys while trying to escape, preventing others from getting out.
The girl also confirmed she had been interviewed by a U.S.-based psychiatrist before the trial, but noted that the consultation was arranged by her family’s attorney, not the State.
Carter is being represented by Attorney-at-law Eusi Anderson and the State by King’s Counsel Dharshan Ramhdani. The matter is being heard by Justice Sandil Kissoon.
Adriana Younge’s Family Calls for International Probe
Meanwhile, the family of Adrianna Younge continues to criticise the government for what they describe as a lack of genuine effort to investigate the 11-year-old’s suspicious death.
Adriana was found dead in a hotel pool on April 24, nearly 20 hours after being reported missing during a family outing at the Double Day International Hotel in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.
President Ali had publicly vowed that “no resource or effort will be spared” to uncover the truth. However, the family says this pledge has not been honoured.
In a public statement this week, Adrianna’s relatives condemned the government’s decision to bring in retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer Leonard McCoshen as an investigator. They argue he lacks institutional authority and does not represent the kind of international expertise the President promised.
“What have we received? Not the FBI. Not Scotland Yard. Not even a formal request for international help,” the family said.
U.S. Ambassador Nicole Theriot confirmed this week that the Guyana government has made no formal request for FBI assistance.
The family also took issue with President Ali’s recent comments dismissing the issue as politically motivated. “Everything I have committed to… I’ve done,” Ali said on Monday. “The political handlers are now at work.” Elsewhere, the president has referred to the matter as ‘yesterday news.’
For the Younge family: “This is not politics. THIS IS A CHILD.” They accused the government of offering “crumbs” instead of real justice and renewed their calls for a credible international investigation.
McCoshen is presently in Guyana assisting the Guyana Police Force with the investigation into Adrianna’s death.
Growing Public Pressure
Both cases have reignited debate about transparency, accountability, and the State’s duty of care in times of national tragedy. Families in both instances argue that they were promised full support but have instead been left with unanswered questions and partial efforts.
For Valerie Carter, the pain of losing two children in a preventable fire continues to haunt her family. For Adriana Younge’s relatives, the fight is just beginning.
“Our demand is not political,” the Younge family stated. “Justice is not a performance. It is a process. And anything less than the truth is a betrayal.”
