By Dacia Richards | HGP Nightly News

Opposition Leader Demands FBI Probe into Death of 11-Year-Old Adriana Younge; Calls for Firing of Police Commissioner

Georgetown, Guyana – In the wake of the tragic death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton has slammed the Guyana Police Force for what he called a “complicit cover-up” and demanded immediate action, including the dismissal of Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken and the involvement of an independent international investigative body such as the FBI.

Speaking at the Office of the Opposition’s weekly press conference, Norton minced no words:

“The Guyana Police Force is clearly complicit in the attempted cover-up of this crime and cannot be trusted to investigate.”

The Opposition Leader criticized the initial false police statement which suggested Adriana had left the Double Day Hotel at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, in a red and black Raum vehicle heading to Vreed-en-Hoop — a claim later debunked by private security footage showing that the child never exited the hotel.

Norton went further, stating:

“The President must therefore fire the Commissioner of Police and invite the FBI or some other reputable international law enforcement body to investigate this heinous crime.”

He warned that continued false promises and mismanagement by the government could erode public confidence in Guyana’s justice system.

Norton also raised concerns about the autopsy process, criticizing the government’s choice to have the autopsy performed by a pathologist he described as “an apologist.”

“The pathologist must be independent of the government and police force. The family and the community deserve a process they can trust.”

Adriana Younge was reported missing on April 23rd, 2025 after swimming at the Double Day Hotel with relatives. Despite family searches of the property that evening, her body was discovered only the following morning in the hotel’s pool — raising serious questions about the initial police search and investigation.

This incident adds to a growing list of controversies involving the Guyana Police Force under Commissioner Clifton Hicken’s leadership, prompting calls from political figures, activists, and the general public for major reforms.

As national outrage grows, the pressure on President Irfaan Ali and Commissioner Hicken intensifies. Protest actions have already erupted across parts of the country, demanding justice for Adriana Younge and wider police accountability.