Boy, 12, critical after forced to touch live wire

Sep 19, 2013 News

A 12-year-old Corentyne, Berbice lad who was beaten and forced to touch a live wire on a utility pole by one of his friends, is in a critical condition in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s Burn Care Unit.

The injured Budgepaul Ramdass at the hospital’s Burn Care Unit .

Budgepaul Ramdass, of Lot 31 Number 54 Village Corentyne, Berbice has been hospitalized at the city’s health institution for the past three months with burns to approximately 80 percent of his body. He was admitted to the facility’s High Dependency Unit and was later transferred to the Burn Unit.
According to reports, the lad went into the back dam with three of his friends, aged eight, 13 and 16 when the oldest teen reportedly whipped and forced him to climb a Guyana Power and Light utility pole and touch a live wire.
After seeing the 12-year-old in flames, the 16-year-old commanded him to jump in a nearby trench.
At the hospital, the child’s mother, Naline Ragnauth, told Kaieteur News that her son left home early on June 17 last, to visit his aunt who lives a short distance away.
“He left home and he say he going by one of his aunts and then the 16-year-old boy collect him and two other li’l boys from there and took him into the backdams,” the child’s mother related.
The mother says her son related that his friend took him into the back dam and beat him with a whip. “He said that after the boy (16-year-old) beat him, he hold him and pushed him up the post and tell him to go touch the wire.”
According to the woman, after her son touched the wire, his shirt was in flames and the 16-year-old told him to jump in the water below, which he did.
“The boy (16-year-old) got away and the 13-year-old had to bring him home and we took him to the hospital. At the hospital they wanted to cut off his hand and so. They doctors told me that there is a slight chance for him to survive,” the mother said in tears.
Kaieteur News was told that the matter was reported to the Number 51 Village Police Station but the police did nothing even though the two children who were present when the incident occurred related what they saw.
“The boy father paid off the police officer (name given) who is dealing with the

The mother, Naline Ragnaught.

matter and they are not doing anything. Every time I go to the station to find out, the police always telling me to come back,” the mother stressed.
When Kaieteur News contacted the officer whom the mother accused of collecting bribe, he said that he was in a rush and would only say that the matter is being investigated.

10 thoughts on “Boy, 12, critical after forced to touch live wire”

vatvic September 19, 2013 at 10:24 am

Brave Mother… good Mother
Danita September 19, 2013 at 10:48 am

What an awful story. I hope the relevant authorities would look into this matter. If it is true about the allegations regarding the police officer she needs to be thoroughly investigated and sacked if proven guilty. A poor child is suffering and could have died at the hands of two delinquents.
vp September 19, 2013 at 11:12 am

govt please look into this matter see bribes involved again
Richbird September 19, 2013 at 2:00 pm

This is among the sickest things I have heard about coming from Guyana. This is so wrong on so many levels its not even funny. First off the 16 year old is not this child’s friend. Secondly he is either a sadist in training or an imbecile of magnanimous proportions. Why else would he think of doing such a thing? Forgive me but it seems to me that he should be charged and prosecuted as an adult and if found guilty dealt with as sternly as the law allows. At some point a line must be drawn.
1. Louise September 21, 2013 at 12:13 am
  
  I agreed with you he is so heartless
AFC September 19, 2013 at 2:31 pm

Guyana police a damn stupid and witless…..
rancher September 19, 2013 at 3:15 pm

The scums that call themselves police officers are making the real hard working police officers look bad. The government should jail the scums.
Ramona D Camp September 19, 2013 at 10:30 pm

this is so sad
Ramona D Camp September 19, 2013 at 10:31 pm

so sad
Linden Sinclair September 20, 2013 at 1:58 am

Guyanese gone astray, vagabonds starting young now, I cant let my children grow up in such a society.