With the tragic death of their mother and concerns being raised about their welfare, Child Protection Services yesterday moved to take temporary control of the four young children of accident victim Mary Sandy.
Director of the Child Protection Agency, Ann Greene, said that the Human Services Ministry was “very concerned” having visited the Providence, East Bank Demerara home of the family and making an initial assessment of the situation.
The conditions under which the children are living and more importantly, the absence of a stable and trusted figure were among the issues being raised yesterday as social services weighed the decision on how to proceed.
Greene said that her agency would act in the interest of the children while underscoring the need for them to be cared for in a sheltered environment “at this time”. She noted that the children are likely to be placed in the temporary custody of the ministry until a full assessment of the situation is done.
She said too that the agency would work on finding other relatives since concerns have been raised about the father.
Stabroek News was informed that persons in the area, particularly one family who had assisted Sandy in caring for the children, expressed a desire to keep the children yesterday but that the offer was reportedly turned down by the ministry.
Greene would only say that “there was some interest”. She insisted that the agency has a responsible to care for the children given the circumstances, adding that the focus is currently on what it is best for Sandy’s four children.
But Greene observed that Sandy was in dire need of assistance based on how she was living.
She said that even if the woman had been reluctant to approach the ministry “someone in the community could have alerted us”.
According to her, the ministry is constantly being challenged as it seeks to engage communities and move in the direction of “people looking out for people”.
She said that the ministry is continuing in its drive to work with various communities in an attempt to change the current culture.
The 25-year-old Sandy mothered Andre, 4, Tyrone ,3, Anthony, 2, and two-month-old Andrew. She lived under deplorable conditions with her husband and children in a shack at Providence.
Reports are that the she had endured domestic abuse and was forced to raise the children on her own. The husband had described their circumstances as “difficult” in an interview with this newspaper on Wednesday.
THANK GOD THE HUMAN SERVICE STEPPED IN TO CARE FOR THESE CHILDREN. SANDY IS TRUELY A GUARDIAN ANGEL FOR THESE KIDS. MAYBE IT HAD TO HAPPEN THAT WAY FOR THESE KIDS TO GET A BETTER LIFE. IT WAS A BLESSING IN DISGUISE! THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO SPEAK UP YES. MANY PPL ARE RELUCTANT TO GO SEEK ASSISTANCE FROM THE GOVT BECAUSE OF THE ‘RUNNING AROUND THAT THEY GET FROM THOSE SO CALLED STAFF’ AND ALSO THE STAFF TREATS YOU LIKE U R FROM OUTER SPACE. O YEAH, I WENT DOWN THAT ROAD. THE FATHER CAN GO SMOKE GRASS NOW WHEN HE DOESNT GET WEEK TO SMOKE. THING BAD WITH HIS & IS DIFFICULT FOR HIM YET HE CAN GET $$$ TO BUY RUM, RUM, RUM, WEED, WEED,WEED .. WELL HE WILL HAVE NO ONE TO BOTHER HIM OR TO BE BOTHERED NOW.
HOW COME SN CANT PUBLISH THIS AS THE FOLLOW UP OF THE STORY BUT KN CAN?
Driver in Providence fatal accident heading to court
June 19, 2009 | By knews | Filed Under News
Police are to charge the driver implicated in Wednesday’s fatal accident at Providence, East Bank Demerara, in which 25-year-old Mary Sandy was killed.
A police source said that the driver, 57-year-old Doodnauth Misir, of Herstelling, is likely to be charged with causing death by dangerous driving.
However, Misir, who is still in custody, is not being charged under the new drunk driving laws. Misir had told Kaieteur News that he consumed “two shots” of vodka shortly before the accident.
Police retrieved a small bottle of alcohol from Misir’s car after impounding the vehicle but did not subject him to a Breathalyzer test.
Sandy, the mother of four young children, was about to cross the East Bank Demerara Public Road near the Texaco Gas Station near Providence when the car, PDD 9467, struck her.
She had just dropped off one of her children to school.
A female eyewitness told police that the driver was heading south along the public road at the same time that a cow was crossing. According to the woman, Misir attempted to drive around the roving animal and struck Sandy.
Misir had told Kaieteur News that he was heading south in his car at approximately 30 kilometers per hour, when a cow ran across the road.
The driver said he ‘mashed brakes’, but hit the woman, who was crossing the road at the same time.
The man alleged that he exited his car to render assistance to the injured woman, but she passed away shortly after.
It’s a sad state of affair,that kids have to suffer in these situations. I would like to contactthe Director of the CPA.
email lot58@comcast.net.
I do hope that the person that caused the accident is sentenced
to life in prison and the kids get a few millions from this accident that caused their mother’s death. So that they can have a good life, I wish it was easy to adopt kids from Guyana boy oh boy I sure would have loved to adopt them, those kids are so sweet. All these drunks that are driving around and killing innocent people needs to be put away for life.
I think these kids should be with family members or with the family that was assisting Sandy. The last thing these kids need now is to be taken by the ministry after such a tragic lost of their mother. Perhaps a fund can be set up to help with their cost of living and the ministry can monitor the situation. Let’s keep in mind these kids are very young and probably don’t understand the negative things their father is/was doing.
Perhaps taking them away from him regardless of his behaviour might add more grief to the situation. I’m also aware that everyone is thinking about the best interest of these children.
I was praying for a miracle for those kids. Thank you Jesus.
CPS please work alone with the relatives of these children and help turn things around for them . Let something good come out of this situation. God bless.
…this is an excellent solution. Sincerely hope that the children will not be split up for any reason.
The children should not be separated