Guyana’s President Backs Death Penalty After Six-Year-Old’s Killing

President Irfaan Ali says he supports the death penalty for particularly heinous crimes, following the killing of six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran in Berbice.

Ali said he has asked the Attorney General to examine the use of capital punishment and other measures for serious crimes, arguing that stronger penalties may be necessary to deter extreme violence.

“The death penalty is something that we have to look at if we want to really send a strong signal,” Ali told News Room.

Ali called the killing “atrocious.” “We are, of course, very cognizant of the human rights issues and challenges,” he said.

Orlando’s body was recovered from a canal at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, at about 1 a.m. on Tuesday. He was reported missing to police on October 15.

Police say the child’s father is the main suspect. He and another man are in police custody assisting with the investigation, and no one has been charged. Divisional Commander Lonsdale Withrite said investigators searched the canal after receiving information on Monday evening. He said police also reviewed CCTV footage that showed the father travelling on a motorcycle toward the canal with what appeared to be his son, then returning without the child.

Police say preliminary investigations suggest the child was attacked at the canal. They say the circumstances of his death are still under investigation, and a post-mortem examination is pending. Withrite said police must complete their investigation before starting any legal process against the suspect.