Child protection officers suspended for allegedly dragging schoolgirl on road, amidst calls for professionalised agency

Last Updated on Tuesday, 3 March 2026, 21:43 by Writer

Two officers of the Child Protection Agency (CPA) of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security have been suspended after a video surfaced showing them allegedly dragging a uniformed schoolgirl by her hands and hair on a road, two days after former CPA Chief Ann Greene bemoaned that entity’s apparent lack of leadership.

Minister Vindhya Persaud described the video as “appalling” and said police have been summoned to investigate the incident. “They have been suspended with immediate effect and the Police (sic) has been called in to take action,” she said in her brief statement.

Based on the video, the incident occurred in busy Stabroek Market square in the vicinity of minibus parks.

Seeking to assure the public that her ministry was committed to protecting children, she vowed that incidents such as that would not be tolerated.

The minister said the two officers violated the CPA’s rules and they could be punished. “They will be held accountable for their conduct which runs counter to the values and operational procedures of the Child Protection Agency,” Dr Persaud said.

A uniformed policeman was also seen interacting briefly with the CPA officers.

The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party questioned how that incident could be tolerated and accused Dr Persaud of “failing the children of this country”.

The video emerged on social media two days after retired Chief Probation and Welfare Officer and former CPA Director, Ann Greene raised concerns about the apparent lack of training and leadership at that agency.

“There is something not right at the Childcare & Protection Agency in terms of leadership and execution of roles. There are reports that individuals are placed in high positions with not an ounce of training and understanding of their roles, responsibilities and Child Protection laws,” she said in a letter to the privately-owned Kaieteur News publication.

She recommended “serious intervention” to save the CPA and the Probation & Social Services and all the other professional departments, who are crying out for informed and effective leadership.

Pointing out that the minister is the executive political head of the ministry and the Permanent Secretary is the administrative head rather that the professional heads of departments, she called for professionals to be given the opportunity to do their jobs.

“These must be certified as well as qualified specialists in the professional areas to fill the top positions, since they are expected to give informed professional guidance and answers to the executive head and Permanent Secretary in the delivery of human services and social work in the ministry,” she said.

Ms Greene’s letter was triggered by two teenagers’, 14 and 15, recent delivery of babies in violation of the age of consent for sexual activity at 16 and queried the CPA’s response.

She said the medical officers were bound by the child protection laws to report the matter to the CPA who must intervene for the protection of the children and babies and bring the perpetrators to justice.

She explained that protection involves the children being taken into safe places with the babies for care while the cases are being investigated, and if adult perpetrators are involved, they must be charged for statutory rape.

She said both mother and baby would be cared for by the state and continuation of school would have been a must.

Against the backdrop of the concerns by the CPA Director, WIN called for an urgent independent operational review of the CPA and Probation and Social Services, a public disclosure of child protection response protocols in cases involving teenage mothers and high-risk minors, a status report on disability grant backlogs and domestic violence case processing times and a clear corrective action plan with measurable timelines.

“When experienced former leadership publicly signals distress about the condition of the agency, immediate and transparent action must be the response. The public deserves to know whether staffing levels, supervision structures, case management systems, and reporting protocols are functioning as required,” said WIN, Guyana’s major parliamentary opposition party, in a statement.