Daycare owner charged over death of baby girl granted $500,000 bail.

Almost one month after she was remanded to prison on a manslaughter charge in relation to the death of a baby girl at her daycare, Denise Benn has been released on $500,000 bail by a High Court Judge.

Benn was initially arraigned before Magistrate Alisha George at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Courts on April 6.

She was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleged that, on March 21, she unlawfully killed seven-month-old Oriyah Gravesande.

She was refused bail, and remanded until May 10. As such, her lawyer Dexter Todd filed a bail petition in the High Court.

As per the condition of her bail, Benn is required to report to the Sparendaam Police Station periodically and to lodge her passport with the Clerk of Court.

Following the death of the young girl, the Child Care and Protection Agency shut down the unlicensed Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD) establishment which was also caring for other children.

According to reports, the girl reportedly sustained injuries after falling off a bed and becoming entangled in a sheet.

She was taken to a nearby health centre and then transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

An autopsy done on the child’s remains revealed that she sustained head injuries as well as compression injuries to the neck.

Her cause of death was listed as suffocation and hemorrhaging.

Based on reports, Gravesande’s mother began taking her to the daycare in January of this year.

According to reports, the child’s mother was at work when she received a call from officials at the Industry Health Centre, informing her that her daughter was experiencing dyspnea (shortness of breath).

On arrival at the medical institution, the woman reportedly saw  her daughter lying motionless on a bed with a respirator over her face.

Dead-Oriyah Gravesande

Police instituted the charge against Benn based on advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

Benn faces up to life imprisonment if convicted.

According to Section 94 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, “everyone who commits manslaughter shall be guilty of a felony and liable to imprisonment for life.”