Wakenaam schoolgirl murder
Second youth implicates prime suspect
-charges likely within days
Police are reportedly within days of charging three youths in connection with the murder of 12-year-old Wakenaam schoolgirl Julie Sooklall, as more evidence surfaced yesterday to connect them to the crime.
Kaieteur News has learnt that two of the youths, who are both aged 17, are attempting to pin the murder on the third suspect, who is 18 and appears to be the mastermind.
On Thursday, one of the youths claimed that the eldest suspect had slit Sooklall's throat. He also claimed that the 18-year-old friend had attempted to grab the schoolgirl last week Friday.
This newspaper understands that yesterday, the other 17-year-old also alleged that the eldest suspect had slit Sooklall's throat.
The youth claimed that he fled after witnessing Sooklall being killed.
A source said the schoolgirl had also complained to her mother that the same teen had attempted to grab her. However, the mother is reportedly denying that the girl had made such a complaint.
Police believe that the youths, who reportedly use drugs, attacked Sooklall while she was walking to school on Monday.
Detectives believe that they decided to kill the girl because she could identify them.
An autopsy performed on Thursday revealed that Sooklall had died of hemorrhage and shock.
Her trachea had been severed and she had been struck with a blunt object at the back of her neck.
It is believed that the killers had first choked their victim and rendered her unconscious before slashing her throat.
The autopsy also confirmed that the child had been sexually assaulted.
Three condoms were also reportedly found at the scene of the crime.
Julie Sooklall was found dead on Tuesday morning in a banana farm about 150 yards off the main road at Wakenaam in the vicinity of Sans Souci Cemetery. She will be buried today.
-victim loses left eye
A 24-year-old barber from Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, was blinded in the left eye on Thursday night, after an irate liquor restaurant owner allegedly dowsed him with acid.
Police said Narvin Seepersaud had the corrosive substance thrown on him at around 18:30 hrs after he became involved in an argument between one of his friends and the businessman.
According to reports, the barber and a group of friends were drinking in the Herstelling restaurant when one of the friends told the restaurant owner that his wife was a prostitute.
An argument broke out between the two men, and Seepersaud reportedly entered the fray.
Eyewitnesses said that the businessman went into his house, returned with a bottle containing a corrosive substance and threw the contents on Seepersaud.
The injured barber was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital with severe burns to the left side of his face and body.
Doctors were unable to save his left eye.
He is being treated in the hospital's Burns Unit, while his alleged assailant has been detained.
Saturday, November, 27, 2004
Rohee's call is timely
Dear Editor,
Minister of Trade and International Cooperation Clement Rohee has made a timely and very strong call on the PNCR to disclose all information on the Jonestown tragedy.
The PNC rule has left many skeletons in the cupboard for the people and these cupboards need to be opened and face the light of the day and even be fumigated.
No nation, especially a young one, such as ours, should have so many dark deeds remaining in the cupboard and it is only the PNC who can throw light on all these misdeeds.
Besides leaving us with an albatross around our necks of an international debt of $2.1 billion US dollars which has now been reduced to half by the careful and prudent fiscal administration of the PPP/Civic Government, they have many dark and dismal deeds and episodes which occurred under their rule.
The people are entitled, surely, to demand that the PNC/R clear up, explain or disclose once and for all, the information they have in their closet, about Jonestown and all the other lamentable events that took place during their tenure.
John Da Silva