Boy, 10, runs away after beaten by older relatives

Feb 16, 2011 News

Last seen wearing a black three-quarter pants, a white armless jersey and a red and black haversack, is, missing 10-year-old Darswat Mannichan of 108 Block X Greater Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

Missing: Darswat Mannichan

According to Bibi Majid, the child’s mother, the lad was last seen around 11:30 on Sunday morning. The woman disclosed that the boy, who attends Diamond Primary School, left the house following a physical altercation between him and two other relatives, both slightly older than him.
The woman said she cannot attest as to what exactly transpired, since she was at the market when the incident occurred. “I went to the market when dem been fight and when I go back home I gon hear that me lil lil son run away!”
She lamented that she spoke to the boys on numerous occasions about their tendencies of sparring, “I tired telling dem don’t fight, now look what happen.”
The concerned mother said she fears the child would do something drastic since he threatened suicide before.
Majid said that the lad has never pulled a stunt of this sort, however, “I worried ‘cause when he make up he mind to do something he gon do it.”
According to Majid, she visited the home of all the relatives that he is likely to go by, but none have heard from or seen him.
Further, she went to his school to enquire if any of his classmates knew of his whereabouts. “One ah he friends seh how he see he on the public road and he tell de boy that he going up the East Coast… but I can’t figure what he would go and do up deh.”
The distraught mother said that the child’s brother and cousin would often “beat he up…and by he lil piece he don’t fight back”.
Majid, as she fought to hold back tears, said that what is most painful about the ordeal is that upon leaving the home, she pleaded with the children not to spar “because I did not want none of them to get hurt…If I did know this woulda happen, I woulda prefer stay home and I woulda get to sleep at night.”
The saddened mother told this publication that all she wants is the return of her son. “I won’t beat he or punish he. All I want to know is that he safe and we sleeping under one roof.”
Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Darswat Mannichan can contact Bibi Majid on 676-8508.