Latest update September 13th, 2026 10:36 AM
Death at daycare, owner on remand
By Renay Sambach
Kaieteur News – On April 6, 2023, the owner of Little Learnings Day Care, Denise Benn was remanded to prison for the death of 7-month-old Oriyah Gravesande.
Remanded: Denise Benn
Benn, of Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Alisha George in the company of her lawyer, Dexter Todd.
The day care owner was charged with manslaughter and was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which stated that on March 21, 2023, she unlawfully killed baby Oriyah.
Magistrate George remanded Benn to prison and the matter was adjourned to May 10, 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 Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, S.C, for advice. However, the file was sent back for further investigation.
The Day Care facility where the incident occurred
Kaieteur News had reported that after reviewing the case file for a second time, the DPP recommended that the day care owner be charged with manslaughter.
Baby Oriyah died after falling off a bed at a day care and suffocating. She was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital almost three weeks ago.
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.
Dead: Baby Oriyah Gravesande
The grieving parents, Shavannie Gravesande and Odysseus Clement
“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 had been operating for the past 27 years, the owner was not licensed to do so. The day care has since been closed.
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- Benn, Dead: Baby Oriyah Gravesande, East Coast Demerara, of Ogle, Remanded: Denise Benn, Shavannie Gravesande and Odysseus Clement, The Day Care facility where the incident occurred
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