The tragic death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge has sparked national outrage in Guyana, as grieving relatives and an enraged community accuse a local hotel of covering up her apparent murder.
The incident has gripped the country, reigniting concerns over child safety, corruption, and police accountability.
Adriana was staying at the Double Day International Hotel & Bar in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, with her family when she was reported missing on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
Her disappearance triggered a desperate search, led by her father Subrian Younge, who refused to leave the hotel grounds despite multiple failed searches by police and community members.
“I told the police my daughter was still in there. My belly told me she never left,” Younge told local media.
His suspicion intensified when police initially claimed surveillance footage showed Adriana leaving the property in a car—a claim they later retracted.
Roughly 20 hours later, Adriana’s body was found floating in the hotel’s swimming pool—a location that had reportedly already been searched multiple times. Her father was the one to jump into the pool and retrieve her lifeless body, which bore visible signs of violence, including bruises on her face, knees, and hands. Investigators also reported finding what appeared to be cotton wool stuffed in her nose, further fueling suspicions of foul play.
The community’s response was swift and furious. Crowds gathered outside the Double Day Hotel demanding answers. Their anger soon turned to action: protesters set the hotel on fire, then located and torched the home of the hotel owner, just blocks away.
Residents have drawn chilling parallels between Adriana’s death and a 2012 case involving a young mechanic who was also found dead in the same hotel pool. In that case, the hotel owner’s son and a staff member were arrested but later released without charge. Now, history appears to be repeating itself, and many in the community say they’ve had enough.
Despite widespread suspicion, no arrests have been made in connection with Adriana’s death, further stoking frustration. Social media has been flooded with calls for justice, as the hashtag #JusticeForAdrianaYounge gains momentum across the Caribbean diaspora.
“This is bigger than one child,” one protester was heard shouting. “This is about protecting all our children.”
The Guyana Police Force says the investigation is ongoing, but the community remains skeptical. For them, the question is not whether foul play occurred—it’s who is being protected, and why.
Meanwhile, the paperwork to facilitate the departure of Adriana Younge’s body from Guyana has been finalised, and the 11-year-old’s remains are expected to be flown to the United States this week for a second autopsy.
