President Ali calls for death penalty review after child's murder

Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali has called for a formal review of the death penalty following the discovery of the body of six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran in a canal at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice. The President has instructed Attorney General Anil Nandlall to examine the legal implications of reinstating capital punishment for particularly heinous crimes.

Police investigations into the child's death involve the boy's 45-year-old father, Bharrat Jaikarran, who is the prime suspect and remains in custody. Surveillance footage reportedly showed the father traveling toward the canal on a motorcycle with the child and returning alone. During searches, detectives seized six cutlasses and other items from a residence in Bath Settlement, though their specific connection to the crime has not been confirmed.

A post-mortem examination on the child's body was reported as inconclusive, and authorities are continuing to search for missing remains, including the child's head. President Ali described the incident as “atrocious” and argued that the nation must consider whether existing penalties are sufficient to deter such extreme violence, while acknowledging the human rights considerations involved.