‘Adriana Young will not be put to rest until answers are given’ – Family’s Attorney

May 11, 2025

The grieving family of Adriana Young, the 11-year-old child whose tragic death sparked national concerns, has vowed not to lay her to rest until a full and satisfactory investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death is conducted.

Speaking on behalf of the family, their attorney, Dexter Todd, delivered a firm message during an interview aired last evening.

“I don’t think anyone could say it better than the mother and father: there will be no announcement of the burial of this girl until there is adequate and satisfactory answers in relation to her death,” Todd said.

According to him, the family has moved beyond the initial stage of mourning and is now actively seeking justice, joining with the wider Guyanese public in their call for transparency and accountability in relation to the circumstances which led to the death of the child.

“They have moved out of the stage of mourning and they are joining hands with every single Guyanese who are joining hands in ensuring that the truth is unearthed,” Todd emphasized.

Adriana Young’s body was discovered floating in the pool at the Double Day Hotel in Tuschen, EBE, less than one day after she went missing at the same venue where the family had gone for an easter outing.

Todd related last evening that the child’s family is reportedly considering all options, including embalming the body, in order to preserve it as investigations continue. He stressed that Adriana Young “will not be put to rest in the earth until answers are given, until a satisfactory investigation is done.”

Three international pathologists recently concluded that she died as a result of drowning; but, the time of death was not determined.

The case has drawn widespread public attention, with many calling for a thorough probe into the events leading up to the young girl’s death.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF), has come under fire for its handling of the case, which included an initial false report that the child had been abducted and was taken to a location on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD).

The individual implicated in the false abduction claim has already filed a $100 million lawsuit against the state, citing defamation and loss of income.

In an opinion piece in yesterday’s Stabroek News, University of Guyana (UG) law lecturer Neville Bissember contended that while primary responsibility for the child’s death is squarely at the feet of the proprietor of the hotel, residual responsibility lies with law enforcement.

“There is arguably also a residual responsibility upon law enforcement – as organs of the State – for their lapses in response, the fictitious yarn about Adriana’s departure from the hotel, and dereliction of their duty to diligently and expeditiously pursue the missing person’s report – all of which cumulatively would have contributed to her sad loss of life,” Bissember argued.