In Memory of Adrianna Younge: A Call for Peace, Justice, and True Reform

Today, we find ourselves at a crossroads — not just in mourning the tragic loss of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge, but in deciding what kind of society we wish to build from this moment forward.

The death of a child, under any circumstances, is a national heartbreak. But it is the failures that followed — the missteps, the misinformation, the broken trust — that have ripped deeper wounds into the fabric of our nation. Adrianna’s death has exposed what too many have whispered for too long: that when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable among us, our institutions are too often unprepared, undertrained, and dangerously out of step with the responsibilities they carry.

The Guyana Police Force fumbled at every critical turn: the initial investigation marred by glaring inaccuracies, the response to a grieving and frightened public marked by confusion rather than clarity, and yesterday’s armed standoff outside the hospital — a shameful example of how poor preparation and lack of strategic leadership can turn heartbreak into public danger. What should have been an operation rooted in respect, patience, and de-escalation instead became another injury to public trust.

And yet, amid the flames of anger now flickering across our streets, we must find the courage to choose another path.

Looting, burning, and destruction will not heal the Younge family’s agony. They will not hold the negligent accountable. They will not rebuild the broken bridge between the people and those sworn to protect them.

What they will do is delay the justice Adrianna deserves. They will drown out the legitimate cries for reform with the chaos of opportunists. They will divide us when this moment demands unity.

We therefore call on every citizen, every leader, every voice of conscience: Let us grieve — but let us grieve with purpose. Let us demand justice — but let us demand it through strength of character, not strength of arms. Let us channel our outrage into unstoppable, unyielding pressure for real reform — not just for Adrianna, but for every child, every mother, every family who still believes that Guyana can be better than it has been.

We need a police force that does not provoke fear, but commands respect.
We need a system where incompetence and indifference are not tolerated but held accountable.
We need a nation where no child’s death is met with half-measures or hollow promises.

Real reform must begin now — not with empty committees or photo opportunities, but with a complete overhaul of police training, strategy, accountability, and community engagement. This moment must become a turning point, not a footnote.

We owe Adrianna Younge, her family, and the generations to come a legacy of action, not excuses.
We owe ourselves the kind of country where tragedy spurs transformation, not more tragedy.

Guyana, let us rise to meet this moment — together, peacefully, powerfully — and let us not stop until we have built a system worthy of the trust and dreams of every child who calls this land home.