Dear Editor,
The gruesome killing of Neesa Lalita Gopaul has touched the collective conscience of all Guyanese. Unfortunate as this incident is, there is one important lesson that must be drawn from this: we need to listen to the cries our children and not take them for granted. Very often perpetrators are people who are close to them. As such they are perceived as harmless unless something terrible happens, by which time it could be too late, as in the case of young Neesa Gopaul.
What is perhaps needed is a special hotline situated perhaps at the Ministry of Human Services dedicated to people in difficult situations. Persons employed to man these lines must be trained social workers with high levels of commitment and dedication to the job.
It is sad that in the case of Neesa her cries for help were ignored, which resulted in her untimely death. It is more than apparent that she was a victim of abuse and neglect, although she was someone with enormous potential to realize her dreams.
Yours faithfully,
Hydar Ally
