Thirteen-year-old mother was raped during holiday, guardian says

The 13-year-old, from Wakapou, Lower Pome-roon River, who gave birth to twins last Friday, was raped during a holiday out of the area, according to her guardian, who did not learn of the attack until she realised that the girl was pregnant two months ago.

The girl remains admitted at the Suddie Public Hospital.

According to officials at the hospital, both babies and their mother are healthy and have been doing well since the delivery last Friday.

When Stabroek News made contact with the teen’s guardian, she said the rape occurred last year when the girl went to stay with a relative at Timehri.

The girl’s parents are both incarcerated and she went to stay with the relative as part of plans to visit them.

“In October, when she come back to go to school, she didn’t tell me that she was pregnant or anything. I had no idea because every month I would ask her if she seeing her health and she would say yes so I always use to buy Stayfree for her,” the guardian explained.

However, in February, she learnt of the pregnancy. “When she put on the top and the pants, that is when I see her belly and I asked her if she is pregnant and she started to cry. I went immediately and report it to the deputy Toshao and then to the head teacher of the school. The welfare officer also got involved and they told me to come to Charity Police Station and make a report,” the woman explained.

“She did not tell me how she get pregnant first but when we had to give statements at the police station, she said that her [relative] and she went at a birthday party in Timehri right where they living and they were sporting. She said that she gone in she bed but a man went behind her and rape her because she said she keep telling him no. He tell her not to say anything to anyone and he threaten her, so she said she was frighten so she didn’t tell her sister what happen. She just keep it to herself,” the woman added.

The guardian said she was very concerned about the health of the girl and took her to the Suddie Public Hospital High Risk Clinic, where several tests were done.

She was admitted to the hospital on Friday last and gave birth to twin boys by C-Section.

The Welfare Depart-ment in Essequibo, when contacted by this newspaper, said that the case is one which has to be handled by the Child Care and Protection Agency and since there is no child care officer in the Region, the matter will be dealt with in Georgetown.

Meanwhile, officials at the hospital expressed concern that no relative of the girl has been visiting her. The teen’s guardian told this newspaper that she visited the girl on Friday at the hospital but has not been able to return because of financial constraints in travelling daily from the riverain area.