“Why they want the video deleted? If they were doing everything right why they want the man to delete the video?” This is the question being asked by Deneika Maxwell, the sister of a schoolgirl who was filmed being dragged through the Stabroek Market bus park by welfare officers on Friday last.
Speaking with the Guyana Standard, Maxwell provided a harrowing account of the events that led to the viral Facebook video and the subsequent suspension of two social workers.
“She was on the park because a boy asked her to drop off a package for somebody, and she was waiting on the park for the person to drop it off to go back to school, and she said they come pressing her and she explained herself as to why she was there and they decide to drag her because she didn’t want to walk.”
The sister further explained, “This was right by Stabroek Market by Pizza Hut side, they were dragging her to the outpost. My mother went down there, they told her [mother] that she kick up, she cuss up and cuff up, but them ain’t talk the fact that they dragged her, we didn’t see that until the video went up this morning. And when my mother see the video this morning she want to know how them aint talk how they drag she on the road, they didn’t talk that part, so they went to the individual that video the stuff because that’s my mother friend and they asked him to delete the video,” Maxwell stated.
The footage shows welfare officers from the Child Protection Agency dragging the child by her hands and hair while she is seen kicking and screaming. In the video, bystanders are heard shouting, “No! Duh is stupidness, yall cyan be dragging the girl! Duh is stupidness! I gunna put this up!” while the welfare officers are heard telling the child, “Raise up girl!”
The incident reached the attention of Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, who issued a statement on her Facebook page confirming that the officers have been suspended with immediate effect.
“An appalling video of a school child being dragged by two officers of the Child Protection Agency has been brought to my attention. They have been suspended with immediate effect and the Police has been called in to take action. They will be held accountable for their conduct which run counter to the values and operational procedures of the Child Protection Agency. The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is committed to the protection of children. Incidents such as this cannot and will not be tolerated.” The Ministry has reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of children, stating that the conduct seen in the video runs entirely counter to the operational procedures of the CPA.
The public continues to call for transparency as the Child Protection Agency faces intense scrutiny over the training and conduct of its field officers.
