Manickchand says Child Care & Protection Agency protocol breach
- resulted in system failure for Gopaul

Following the gruesome murder of 16-year old Neesa Lalita Gopaul and the disturbing details that surfaced with regards to the conditions under which she lived, Government expressed it outrage and disappointment at the way the issue was handled by the relevant authorities which are mandated to ensure that vulnerable groups, particularly children are protected.
            Against this backdrop, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand, on thursday told media operatives that an internal investigation, headed by the Director of Social Services, is being carried out to review the actions that were taken by officials of the Ministry’s Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA). Additionally, an external review is being considered.
            “We have to know exactly where the system erred, why it erred, and what we need to do within the agency as it relates to collaboration with other agencies to prevent these breaches from ever happening again so that we could, as far as possible, prevent the consequences of these breaches,” Minister Manickchand stated.
            The investigation, which is expected to comply with all the fair-hearing rules that govern public law matters, has a deadline of November 5, at which time a report based on the findings as well as recommendations will be made public.
            Over the years, Government has placed considerable emphasis on the protection and well-being of Guyana’s children. As such, several pieces of legislation have been passed in National Assembly and others pending before a parliamentary special select committee, to address the way children are being treated in society.

From left: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Human Services and Social Services, Trevor Thomas, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand, and Public Relations Consultant, Alex Graham during the press conference at the Ministry’s boardroom

            These include: the Protection of Children Act, the Status of the Children Act, the Adoption of the Children Act, and the Childcare and Protection Agency Act.
Moreover, the Sexual Offences Bill of 2010 also makes it mandatory for all reports of sexual abuse and violence to be fully investigated at all levels of the social services and criminal justice systems.
However, the Minister said that “much more could have, and should have been done to protect this girl by all the authorities, sectors and persons who were aware of the complaints of this young girl.”
She added that much more could have been done by the CC&PA as its procedures and protocols for addressing complaints such as those received in this matter; prescribe that more should have been done.
“I sincerely regret that the Child Care and Protection Agency’s intervention in this particular case was not as effective as it should be and fell short of the high standard that has been set by the Agency,” Minister Manickchand submitted.
She explained that based on a preliminary report, certain well-defined protocols/procedures by which the Agency is governed, were not adhered to in this particular case.
The CC&PA was established to protect and preserve the well being of children across Guyana. It also has the mandate to implement policies, decisions and laws governing children, monitor childcare facilities, intervene in cases where a child is abused or neglected and to do whatever is necessary to protect Guyana’s children.
Minister Manickchand emphasised that “we have to use this incident as an opportunity to perfect a system that effectively served many children since the establishment of the Agency.”
The CC&PA, which came into operation in 2009, has since received 3, 175 complaints regarding child abuse, all of which were investigated and some are still being dealt with. Of this number, 602 were recorded as sexual abuse complaints.
The Minister added that 700 children have been placed in “safe care”, while 198 were re-integrated into their families. 
On October 2, Gopaul’s headless body was discovered in suitcase at the Emerald Tower Resort, Madewini, Linden, Soesdyke Highway.  According to reports the teen is alleged to have lived in an abusive home with her mother and stepfather who have since been taken into police custody to assist with investigations into her death.
Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee and Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, have launched independent investigations into what transpired in this particular matter as it relates to their sector.
The Ministry is renewing its call to the citizenry to speak out against child abuse, since the system of disclosure has worked effectively in the past to protect vulnerable children. The CC&PA’s 24-hour hotline telephone number is 227-0979.