A 13-year-old Guyanese girl was abducted and held captive for several days before she was found and safely returned home on Wednesday. Her abductor was taken away in handcuffs after a taxi man spotted the teen walking along the street and alerted her family.
The young girl had been missing since June 18, leaving her loved ones deeply worried and with no leads. That changed on Wednesday morning when a taxi driver saw her alone at a location far from her home. He immediately contacted her family and even allowed the girl to speak with her mother over the phone. Acting on the mother’s advice, the driver took her straight to the nearest police station.
Once in police custody, the teen revealed to officers that she had been locked up in a house on the East Coast of Demerara. “He locked me up there for a couple of days,” she reportedly told police, according to Kaieteur News. Her information led authorities to the suspect’s location, where he was found. Police detained the suspect and took him into custody to be questioned by detectives.
While the police have not yet issued an official statement on the matter, reports suggest that the child may have been assaulted during her time in captivity, per Kaieteur News.
At the scene where the arrest was made, a woman shared her thoughts with reporters, pointing to poverty as a possible underlying issue. She claimed the girl may have been receiving gifts from the man due to financial hardship.
“That little girl was in need of having to receive gifts from that young man because of poverty,” she said, expressing frustration over broader social issues. However, law enforcement has not confirmed or denied whether the suspect had provided the teen with anything, and the investigation is ongoing.
There were also several angry Guyanese at the scene arguing as they watched the police take the suspect away. While many have expressed relief that the child is home safely, the public remains deeply concerned about the disturbing questions surrounding what took place during her disappearance.