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Abandoned Perseverance boys… Mother pleads guilty to neglect charge

Sep 05, 2014 News

– to be sentenced in two weeks

A grinning Angela Bodhaley appeared yesterday morning before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Suddie Magistrates’ Court where she pleaded guilty to neglecting her five sons, all below the age of 15, for a period of close to three weeks during the month of August.
The 37-year-old Bodhaley was required to appear at the Anna Regina Magistrates’ Court on August 26, last, but failed to do so.
Magistrate Scarce had therefore, instructed that a summons be issued for the woman to attend court.
Bodhaley is accused of abandoning her sons, whose ages range from 14 to six, during the period from August 4 and 26, 2014, at their Perseverance, Essequibo Coast residence.
At yesterday’s hearing, the Magistrate requested of the defendant a reason for neglecting her offspring, to which she responded by disclosing her inability to care for them. According to the woman, she is required to pay a rent which she can ill-afford to do, even as she disclosed that oftentimes she is required to rely on neighbours for assistance to maintain herself and children.
The unrepresented woman also confessed that her school-aged sons have been assisting with helping to financially support her and themselves. This led the Magistrate to query why Bodhaley was not able to find employment. The woman in her attempt to explain her circumstances said that she was unable to work because of sores on her foot. She however did not specify which foot.
Although Magistrate Scarce was contemplating releasing Bodhaley on her own recognisance, he pointed out that the nature of the charge would not permit him to do so.
Based on Section 49 of the Child Protection Act of 2009 “A person who by commission or omission wilfully contributes to a child being a child in need of protective intervention commits an offence and is liable.”
Bodhaley was required to pay $10,000 bail but remained in police custody by mid-afternoon yesterday as she was unable to raise the sum.
During the hearing too, the Magistrate instructed a Child Protection Officer in attendance to ensure that a report on the matter be submitted to him ahead of sentencing in two weeks.
The matter is slated to be heard again on September 18.
According to reports, Bodhaley had left her five sons without adult supervision, forcing them to take care of themselves, a practice that they had grown accustomed to since their mother, according to reports, would, on occasions, leave them unattended.
The most recent period of desertion was however reportedly the longest the mother had stayed away.
Reports are that the boys were not enrolled to attend school and would seek odd jobs to help their mother.
The boys’ plight was first highlighted by some concerned residents who brought the matter to the attention of this publication. The boys have since been taken into protective custody.
During a visit to the home in which the children were left, one of the boys told this publication that ahead of being abandoned by their mother recently, he was forced to do all the household chores.
The child disclosed too that when he refused to adhere to his mother she would simply throw out their clothes and burn them, leaving them with merely a few pieces of clothing to share among them.
During this publication’s visit, one of the younger boys was seen engaged in the task of washing a few pieces of their clothing.
Kaieteur News understands that following collaborative interventions by Police ranks of the Suddie Police Station and the Child Care and Protection Agency, the boys were removed from the home which was said to be in an unsanitary condition.
This matter has come to the fore even as the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is threatening to take action against parents who abandon or otherwise mistreat their children.

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