On April 24, 2025, a family outing turned into national mourning when 11-year-old Adriana Younge was found dead in the pool of a hotel in Guyana, nearly 20 hours after she was reported missing. She was discovered just steps away from where she was last seen, in a pool that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and hotel staff asserted had already been searched. Before her body was even found, the police issued a false statement claiming that she had left the property in a vehicle—misinformation that has since been retracted. This tragic loss, compounded by misinformation, mishandled procedures, and shifting official narratives, has shattered public trust and outraged the nation. 

As the world celebrates Mother's Day, Adriana's mother is left without her daughter to hold—only grief and a growing fear that justice will be denied. We cannot allow that to happen.

The Guyanese public, Adriana’s grieving family, their legal counsel, and over 78 civil society organizations represented by the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly–Guyana (IDPADA-G) are demanding that the Government of Guyana immediately engage an independent, international investigative agency—such as Scotland Yard, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), or the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—to conduct a full, transparent, and impartial investigation into Adriana’s death within the shortest possible time.

The appointment of a single retired RCMP officer to "advise" the case is wholly inadequate. Adriana’s life demands more than a token gesture. It demands the truth. It demands justice.

The failure of the Guyana Police Force to properly handle this case and to maintain public confidence has ignited protests across the country and sparked a reckoning with the broader issue of racial and class-based injustice in Guyana’s justice system.

We, the undersigned, call on the Government of Guyana to:

1.      Immediately retain an international investigative agency with full authority, multidisciplinary skills and independence. The terms of reference for this investigation must benefit from Adriana’s legal team’s input. 

2.      Guarantee full cooperation, legal access, and transparency throughout the investigation.

3.      Commit to publicly releasing regular updates on the investigation’s findings and progress.

4.      Adriana’s death must not be buried in silence. Let us unite across borders to demand what every child deserves—protection and justice.

Sign this petition to stand with Adriana’s family and the people of Guyana. Let your voice help ensure that no other family endures this pain without answers or justice.

#JusticeForAdriana #MothersDayWithoutMyDaughter #IndependentInvestigationNow