Missing Essequibo girl to be taken to Venezuela, mother told

Benita Fredericks, the 13-year-old Essequibo girl taken from her parents’ home last week, yesterday contacted her mother and disclosed that plans are being made for her to be taken to Venezuela with the man keeping her.

Fredericks, of the New Opportunity Corps Compound, at Onderneeming, Essequibo Coast, was last seen on January 24, leaving her home in a car around midnight with the man, who reportedly hails from Riverstown Sands.

Benita Fredericks

A relative of the man was reportedly arrested by police, who are now searching for the girl.

The teen’s father, Alvin Fredericks, yesterday told Stabroek News that his daughter, who calls once given the opportunity, contacted her mother yesterday and told her that the man has left to make plans for the trip. He said when asked of her location, the girl said she could not give that information because she was warned against it.

He pointed out that he received a call from the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs yesterday morning and he was asked his daughter’s age and a telephone number for the man implicated in this matter.

Attempts made by this newspaper to contact both Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai and the Permanent Secretary Nigel Dharamlall for comment proved futile.

Fredericks said he has since been given information that his daughter has been seen at the man’s Riverstown home and as a result, arranged to have police attached to the Suddie Police Station visit the house at 4am yesterday. However, only the man’s parents were home.

Police then arrested the man’s grandfather, who lived nearby, after being advised that the elderly man had given the accused $100,000 for travelling purposes. The man’s relatives had approached the girl’s family to settle the matter.

Fredericks said he understands that the matter is in the hands of the police but opined that an interest was shown by them only after an article was published in this newspaper.

The concerned father added that on more than one occasion the man keeping his daughter has called him and threatened him.