Manslaughter charge for Ogle day care owner

Apr 05, 2023 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Kaieteur News – The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, S.C has recommended that the Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), day care owner be charged with manslaughter for the death of 7-month-old Oriyah Gravesande.

Dead: Oriyah Gravesande

The day care owner is slated to appear at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court today.

Kaieteur News had reported that baby Oriyah died after falling off a bed at a day care and suffocating. She was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital on, March 21, 2023.

Following a collaborative investigation conducted by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Child Care and Protection Agency, and the Ministry of Human Service and Social Protection – a file was sent to the DPP for advice. However, the file was sent back for further investigation which was then carried out before the charge was recommended.

Oriyah was the daughter of Shavannie Gravesande and Odysseus Clement. The grieving parents had revealed that their child was dropped off at the day care located in Ogle, on Tuesday morning (March 21) “in good health” not knowing that would have been the last time they saw their baby girl alive.

During an emotional interview, Gravesande had said, “I was made to understand they murder my daughter, they murder my daughter.”

According to the woman, her daughter fell into the corner of a bed in a sheet which reportedly suffocated her. “So, by the time they could have called me to come down, she had arrived at the Health Center unresponsive. By the time they could have bring her to Georgetown Hospital, she was pronounced dead on arrival due to suffocation,” the distraught mother shared.

The day care where the incident happened

“How can a day care be so irresponsible, to allow my child to fall down and suffocate?” the young mother questioned.

“First thing, the day care lady deprive me entrance to see how and where my child really fell, telling me how child care does come every day to inspect so there is no need for me to come in,” the mother said.According to the woman, her daughter had gone home with a swollen head, prior to her death. She recalled that an employee of the day care had told her, “Your baby is in safe hands.”

A post-mortem examination (PME) was conducted on baby Oriyah, revealing that she died from haemorrhage and compression to the neck. The PME was conducted by Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, at the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Mortuary.

Moreover, officials had revealed that while the day care owner had been operating for the past 27 years, the operation was unlicensed.

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Dead, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, Guyana Police Force (GPF), Oriyah Gravesande, S.C.

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