Family “walk for justice” for Berbice boy

By Royan Abrams

Residents of Sisters and Brothers Villages on the East Bank of Berbice held a “walk for justice” for the 12-year-old boy who went missing on Sunday last after leaving his parents’ home to visit his sisters at a birthday party.

At the time of his disappearance, Leonard Archibald of Brothers Village East Bank Berbice was riding his bicycle, which has since been recovered by ranks along the river bank in Sisters Village, East Bank Berbice.

Two men, who are in police custody, have since admitted to sodomising the child and dumping his body in the river where the cycle was found. Efforts are still being made to recover the child’s body.

The confession has since prompted a “walk for justice” earlier today by residents from the two communities.

Speaking with the News Room, the father of the missing child, 54-year-old Walter Archibald disclosed that the walk intended to send a message that residents do not want one of the suspect, whose name has been given as Hillary Edwards, back in the area as he is known for molesting young boys.

“We don’t want him back in this community and we want justice for me son,” Mr Archibald said.

The News Room understands that at about 17:00 hrs, the two suspects were taken to the location where the confessed to dumping the child’s body after he fell unconscious after molesting him.

According to reports, the child was riding his bicycle along the Sisters Public Road at about 17:30hrs when he was approached by one of the suspects who took him into his home and molested the child.

News Room was told that after the child became unresponsive, the suspect dumped his body in the Berbice river which is located several feet behind the suspect’s home.

However, the News Room was told that the other suspect was underneath the house when he heard noise in the upper flat but he took it for nothing. It was the following day that he was then ordered to dump the bicycle in the river.