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Reports findings of investigation shows Child Care and Protection Agency failed to follow procedures  

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand at a press conference on Thursday announced that following the investigation launched on October 7, to review the actions taken by the Child Care and Protection Agency with regards to case of 16-year old Neesa Lalita Gopaul, two officers from the Agency have been sacked, while the probation period of one has been extended.
            The investigation was carried out to determine whether there were any breaches in addressing Gopaul’s case, identify gaps within the system and recommend corrective actions with the view of improving the service delivered by the Agency.
            The case was first reported on October 19, 2010, when Gopaul accompanied by a teacher from Queen’s College visited the agency and filed a report explaining the difficult environment that was characterised by physical and drug abuse and by the threat of sexual abuse, in which she (Neesa) lived.
            The matter was assigned to a caseworker and Neesa and her younger sibling were subsequently removed from their home by the Agency and placed under the care of their maternal grandparents.
            Minister Manickchand explained that this step was taken as per procedure, since all studies have concluded that in the interest and well-being of children, institutional care should be last resort.

  
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand at the press conference at the Ministry’s boardroom

           Gopaul began receiving counselling sessions, which continued for a few weeks. However, a while after the new living arrangements were worked out, Gopaul’s grandparents indicated the refusal of the mother, Naree Gopaul, to give more than $8000 per week for the children’s upkeep as the reason for sending them back to live under the same dreadful environment from which they were removed.
            Minister Manickchand said that the fact the children were removed from the home they were placed in for safety, was not communicated to any senior personnel in the Agency and that the reintegration was not approved by the Director, as is the established procedure.
            Consequently, Neesa stopped attending the counselling sessions at the Agency; however, efforts were made by her caseworker to contact her and the assistance of the police was enlisted in this regard.
            According to the report, after many pleas, the police agreed to accompany the caseworker to Neesa’s home on the West Coast of Demerara, but refused to go into the yard, saying that they have already been subjected to much criticism from the public regarding their dealings with another young person.
            Nevertheless, the caseworker eventually succeeded in meeting Neesa at her school, who upon questioning, assured that her current environment did not pose any risk to her welfare or well-being.
            The report stated too, that although the initial reports had elements of alleged sexual abuse, nothing during the counselling sessions or during any other contact, led the caseworker to believe that sexual abuse obtained in Neesa’s life.
            On August 24 of this year, Gopaul’s case resurfaced, when the Child Care and Protection Agency received a report of alleged sexual abuse from social worker stationed at a hospital in West Demerara.
The matter was then assigned to a new caseworker, who made several visits to Neesa’s home in an attempt to speak with her, but was unsuccessful. Unfortunately, her mutilated body was found shortly after.  
             Minister Manickchand said that from the investigator’s report, it is clear that following both reports (the one from October 2009 and the other from August earlier this year), the caseworkers did not follow the documented and/or established procedures for addressing matters that engage the attention of the Agency.
             “As it relates to the management of the operations of the Agency, it was found that the Operations Manager by her own admission failed to do obligatory and necessary daily management of the operations of the Agency resulting in little or no proper supervision and /or follow-up of cases that had been brought to the attention of the Agency,” the Minister said.
            Moreover, the Operations Manager had been written to more than three times about her failure to perform in the capacity in which she was hired and also for her continuous absences. Unfortunately, although so advised, no action was taken by the Personnel Division.
            Minister Manickchand noted that the investigations also revealed that the working conditions, specifically as it related to the physical accommodations, could be improved and new tools should be added to make the Agency more effective.
            The actions that were taken against the officers were based on the specific recommendations outlined in the report.
There are also other recommendations, these include: immediate preparation of a building to house the Agency, development and implementation of a Management Information System (MIS), which the Minister said is already being pursued, immediate communication to teachers and police officers through the Ministries of Education and Home Affairs, and an increase in the complement of officers at the Child Care and Protection Agency.
Minister Manickchand asserted that notwithstanding the lapses, the Agency is not responsible for the death of Neesa Gopaul.
“The responsibility lies squarely on the shoulders of those who did this fiendish act; nevertheless, we share this responsibility with the family and friends of Neesa and the community where she lived. None of us can be absolved,” she lamented.
The Human Services 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.                            
            At a press conference on October 22, Head of State, President Bharrat Jagdeo condemned the horrors surrounding the life and subsequent death of Neesa Gopaul.
He also said that “this is not just an inhumane act, it’s beyond brutal and what we have found out from this is that there were many failures.”
            Gopaul’s body was discovered on October 2, in a suitcase at the Emerald Tower Resort, Soesdyke, Linden Highway. Her mother and step-father have been arrested and remanded to prison.