12-year-old Devi Persaud, also known as ‘Ashley,’ has been missing for three days.
The girl who recently sat the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and lived with her grandmother at 228 Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara (WBD), left on Monday at around 10:30h to visit her aunt- Aklima Ali, who lives about a few streets away from Ashley’s permanent home.
According to Ali, the girl informed her grandmother (Ali’s mother) that she was leaving to visit her, which she usually does.
“She does normally come by me but when for the afternoon for she go home, whether me does carry she home, me son or me husband but normally since me brother home he does most come collect she.”
“But the afternoon me brother come for collect she he tell me he come for collect Ashley if Ashley come by me. Me say no baby Ashley na come by me wah happen to she then he say mommy say how she left to come by you,” Ali recalled.
The girl is expected to commence secondary school at the Patentia Secondary School shortly. Ali said the last time she spoke to her niece, they had a conversation about completing her back-to-school shopping.
“She write common entrance, and she pass to go to Patentia, so she had to wait till Monday to start school, so me tell she, man, babe hear wa go happen me go buy out all you school need because me go buy lil more extra thing for you, so Monday when you finish I go carry you in school, and I go tell the teacher I go carry you to buy something for you because is me mother alone and I can’t depend on she, she is a pensioner. So, I say man, since is me responsibility, I go look after all she school need, and I will try my best to pitch in lil bit more to buy lil more stuff for her because since she is a girl child, she need a lot of thing. So, I tell she Ashley I buying everything for you baby I don’t want you to ask nobody for nothing, if you want anything come and ask me,” an emotional Akilma told MTV News Update.
The aunt said she does not believe her niece got away from home since she had no reason to do so but contended that she does not want to blame anyone.
The aunt described Ashley as a “loving and quiet” child and is hoping for her to return home safely. She was last seen wearing a black top and blue jeans. Anyone who has seen Ashley or knows about her whereabouts can contact Ali on 698-9552 or the nearest police station.
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