Sheina Douglas, the mother of a 15-year-old schoolgirl who was dragged through the Stabroek Market Square bus park by Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) officers, has vowed to seek justice and bring charges against the officers involved.
“My daughter is not a floor cloth, she is not a dog; she is a human with rights and pride,” Douglas stated in an emotional interview with Nightly News. She expressed her frustration over the mistreatment of her daughter, emphasizing that if the officers had taken a moment to listen, the incident could have been avoided.
A viral video showed the two welfare officers dragging the girl, who was in her school uniform, with one officer reportedly holding her hair. Bystanders at the bus park voiced their objections to the treatment of the child.
According to Douglas, she received a call around 9:00 AM and rushed to the police outpost opposite Demico House in Georgetown, where she found her daughter in tears amid a crowd. “People were telling her all sorts of things because she ended up cursing,” Douglas recalled.
Her daughter had left home around 8:00 AM to deliver a skirt and attend her school’s Phagwah celebration. While she was at the bus park, officers questioned her about her presence during school hours. The teenager explained that she was waiting to deliver the item before heading to school.
Following their conversation, as she attempted to board a bus, officers allegedly restrained her, with one officer grabbing her by the hair and another holding her hand as they dragged her away. Douglas noted that her daughter felt humiliated and was subjected to ridicule by onlookers.
Now traumatized, Douglas demands more than just the suspension of the officers involved. “I need it to go to court; I want these two young ladies charged for abusing my daughter both physically and mentally,” she stated.
She expressed concern over the long-term impact of the incident on her daughter, who fears public embarrassment due to the viral video. “She feels shame, and it has left her traumatized. This video will stay online, and my daughter has to live with this for life,” Douglas lamented.
In a statement, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Vindhya Persaud, condemned the actions of the officers as “appalling.” She confirmed that the CPA officers were suspended immediately and that the Guyana Police Force would be further investigating the incident to ensure accountability.
