Dear Editor,
Imagine a child hugging someone he trusts, unaware that those arms are carrying him towards his death. As a father, I struggle to put into words how deeply these killings pain me. I believe many other fathers, fellow Guyanese and people of conscience around the world share this anguish. The reports of children killed in Guyana, and of a mother dying alongside her young son, have left me heartbroken and furious. I appeal to our national leaders to help turn this grief into stronger protection for our children and justice for the families who have lost them.
News Room reported on 20 October that six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran was found dead at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, and that his father reportedly confessed. Police confirmed that information from the father led investigators to the body. The investigation continued at the time I wrote this letter.
News Source Guyana also reported that security footage showed Orlando’s father leaving home during the night holding a child and returning without the child. The image of a child embracing the person he trusts for protection is devastating. Those arms should have meant safety.
According to Ignite News, a mother and her three-year-old son died in a suspected arson at Charity, with her common-law partner in police custody. INews Guyana reported that a man had been charged with the murder of six-year-old Zi Feng Cao at Parika. Each case demands thorough investigation and fair adjudication. An arrest or charge does not establish guilt. A confession is an admission that can be compelling evidence of guilt. As any reported confession must be properly presented and assessed by the court for its admissibility and reliability. A police statement is distinct from a formal guilty plea accepted in court.
The conduct alleged is abhorrent, callous and inhuman. Parenthood carries a duty to protect. Killing a child entrusted to one’s care is a profound violation of that duty. No dispute over money, resentment towards a partner or question about paternity can justify such cruelty.
Accountability must also extend to anyone who uses claimed spiritual authority to counsel, direct or knowingly assist criminal violence. Such conduct must be investigated and, where the evidence justifies it, those responsible must be prosecuted. No pandit, pastor, imam or self-proclaimed ‘godman’ stands above the law. Exploiting fear or family distress under the guise of divine guidance can devastate lives and destroy families. Religious leaders must condemn this abuse of trust and help protect the vulnerable.
I recognise and commend President Ali’s administration for its diligent efforts to improve education, health, security, infrastructure, agriculture and social services. As the Department of Public Information reported in its coverage of Budget 2026, substantial resources have been allocated across these areas. I ask the government to build on that work by placing stronger protection for children at the centre of our national development. Children must be safe to benefit from the future these investments are intended to create.
I regard President Ali as a bold leader whose work has earned international recognition, including the Africa Prosperity Network’s 2024 Global Africa Leadership Award. I believe championing this cause would further strengthen his standing as a leader who turns vision into firm action. The lasting measure of that leadership should be children protected, families supported and a country united in defending its most vulnerable citizens.
In that spirit, I respectfully appeal to President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall, S.C., and Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud to lead a coordinated national response. I ask the President and Vice President to champion this effort and support the resources it requires, the Attorney General to lead the legislative review, and Minister Persaud to strengthen protection, early intervention and assistance for affected families.
My position on punishment is clear. I believe capital punishment is warranted in the most heinous cases of deliberate child murder and other exceptionally aggravated murders, following conviction and full due process. In those exceptional cases, imprisonment alone does not, in my judgment, adequately reflect the enormity of the crime.
Guyana’s Criminal Law (Offences) (Amendment) Act 2010 already provides for death or life imprisonment for specified categories of murder, including murder committed in the course or furtherance of arson involving a dwelling house. I ask the Attorney General to review the scope and lawful application of these provisions and advance a carefully drafted bill for any necessary reforms.
The review should address child murder, the abuse of parental or caregiving responsibility, and the killing of women and children in domestic violence. It should examine the requirements for imposing and carrying out a death sentence, including whether proposals involving hanging, lethal injection or the electric chair would comply with the Constitution and Guyana’s legal obligations. A clear timetable for consultation would allow legal professionals, families and the wider public to contribute before Parliament considers a bill.
Thorough investigations and effective prosecutions require adequate support for the police and the Director of Public Prosecutions. The courts also need the resources to deliver timely, fair proceedings. Guyana’s Constitution protects judicial independence and provides for legislation to be passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President. Each institution must be able to fulfil its responsibilities.
My insistence on justice includes an equally firm commitment to due process. Every accused person must have effective legal representation and a meaningful opportunity to challenge the evidence. Guilt must be proved beyond reasonable doubt, sentencing must consider the individual case, and applicable appeals and constitutional mercy procedures must be respected. Any reform must observe the constitutional prohibition on imposing a harsher punishment retrospectively. Current cases must be governed by the law applicable when the alleged offences occurred.
We must not casually explain away child murder as a mental health issue. Where warranted, independent psychiatric assessment should examine the accused person’s mental condition, its relevance to criminal responsibility and fitness to participate in proceedings. As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes, most people living with mental illness are not violent. Treatment and crisis intervention deserve investment, while accountability must follow the evidence and the law.
I want the law to deter anyone who contemplates taking a child’s life. Whether executions deter murder more effectively than imprisonment remains uncertain. My support for capital punishment in the most heinous cases rests on the gravity of the crime and the punishment I believe justice requires. Parliament should examine both the punishment such crimes warrant and the measures most likely to prevent them.
The law must also have practical force. Threats against children must prompt timely action, and allegations of violence must be thoroughly investigated. I ask the government to strengthen the capacity to intervene before violence becomes fatal, while ensuring that prosecutions rest on reliable evidence. Our resolve must reach the child whose danger has not yet become a headline. Securing justice for the children we have lost must be accompanied by a determined effort to protect those who can still be saved.
Taxpayers are entitled to question the cost of lifelong incarceration for those convicted of the most appalling crimes. Any comparison must also include the full cost of capital proceedings and appeals. Public resources must support surviving children and bereaved families, whose suffering should command sustained national attention.
Alongside legal reform, I ask the government to advance a new Charter for the Protection of Children, developed with families, child protection professionals, civil society and our Caribbean partners. President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo can champion this effort within CARICOM and the wider region. It should build on existing regional and international commitments, with the ambition of strengthening protection across the Caribbean and offering an example to the world.
I ask Minister Persaud to strengthen practical protection in partnership with the police, schools, healthcare providers and communities. Credible threats and reports of domestic violence need prompt assessment, coordinated action and reliable follow-up. Families at risk must be able to reach emergency protection, counselling and safe accommodation. The charter should define who must act, provide dedicated resources and establish measurable standards. Reviews of serious cases should identify any missed opportunities to intervene and guide improvements, with public reporting that protects children’s privacy.
Surviving children and grieving relatives need sustained counselling, practical assistance and clear information about the progress of proceedings. Their needs will continue long after public attention moves elsewhere. Supporting their recovery must remain a national responsibility.
I also call on the opposition to stop the political gymnastics and focus its energy on programmes and policies that improve Guyanese lives. Citizens deserve substantive debate and workable proposals. Support sound measures to protect families, scrutinise them responsibly and offer credible alternatives where there is disagreement. The safety of a child should unite every member of the National Assembly.
President Ali, Vice President Jagdeo, Attorney General Nandlall and Minister Persaud, I respectfully ask you to lead this effort with urgency and conviction. Let the country’s investment in its future include an equally determined commitment to protecting the children who will inherit it. Help secure justice for bereaved families, strengthen protection for those still at risk, and advance a charter that can encourage action across the Caribbean and beyond. The children we have lost deserved love, safety and the chance to grow up. They deserved to live.
Yours faithfully,
Professor Mahendra Hariraj, MSc DBA Candidate
Adjunct Professor Accounting & Economics
