16-year-old boy fathered child of 12-year-old girl

The 12-year-old who delivered a baby girl Sunday morning at the Georgetown Public Hospital said a 16-year-old boy is the father of her child. This disclosure was made by Child Protection Agency Director Ann Greene on Monday. Greene told Guyana Times International that the underage girl, who hails from Region Seven, has ruled out rape or any form of sexual abuse by an adult.
Her mother, when questioned by the agency and ranks of the Guyana Police Force denied ever knowing that her daughter was sexually active. After learning of the case, the child protection agency removed the pregnant child from Region Seven away from her parents, after alerting the police.
She was subsequently housed at the Mahaica Children’s Home, but was taken to the Amerindian Hostel in Georgetown as her delivery time drew close. Although, the minor has given birth and has identified the baby’s father, Greene disclosed that police investigations are still ongoing as the boy is yet to be found by the authorities.
Questioned whether this is the first underage girl to deliver this year, Greene responded in the negative. It was disclosed that 12 underage girls have given birth since 2011. While at the Amerindian Hostel, the 12-year-old met with two other underage mothers who without consent moved out of the Mahaica Children’s Home and relocated to the Amerindian Hostel in the hope of going back to their hinterland homes.
But Greene made it clear that permission will not be granted as investigations into their pregnancies are still ongoing. The director said there is a high possibility, that if they return to their villages, they will again become pregnant while still underage, so they will be monitored in Georgetown.
The many underage mothers hail from villages within hinterland regions. Greene noted that many of the stories told by these girls are the same: they were impregnated by 16- year-old boys. “Most of the time the girls come out; they talk about a boy being sixteen years old and we have had difficulties in finding those boys, so we want to believe that, that might be a story for us, there might be more.”
The Child Protection Agency is now of the opinion that some of the girls may be providing false information to protect the real perpetrators.
She said abused children tend to cover up for their abusers, because the person or persons are often their loved ones or close family members and friends who financially contribute to their households. Greene said some societies endorse sexual activity at an early age, but this trend must be broken as it is against the laws of Guyana for children under the age of 16 to be involved in sexual activity. “…. hence we have to bridge those gaps, culture with the laws of the country.” She further stated that bridging the gap is very difficult, but reiterated the agency’s commitment to protect the nation’s future; children.