Relatives and friends of Geeta Bissessar who was burnt to death on Monday [ please note: link provided by LOSP web site ] afternoon when the house in which she was chained to a bed went up in flames, are calling on members of the public to assist her homeless siblings.

Meanwhile, Chief Pro-bation and Family Welfare Officer, Ann Green, said members of the community in which the child was living should feel terrible since they knowingly allowed the child to be subjected to such treatment.

The nine-year-old of South Le Ressouvenir Pasture, East Coast Demerara was home alone chained by her foot to a bed when the fire engulfed the home.

Green told this newspaper that whether Geeta was in the habit of leaving the home without permission or any other such thing she should not have been put under such restrictions.

According to Green, to chain a child or anyone to a bed was illegal and the Ministry of Human Services could not tolerate it. She said it was child abuse.

However, she stated that she was particularly upset that residents in the area knew of the child being chained for some time, but had never reported the problem to the police or the ministry.

Green said her officers depended upon members of the community to make such reports before anything could be done. She said that in many instances children were being abused in some way or the other to the full knowledge of members of the society. But only when something disastrous happened then a shrill alarm was sounded.

“We can’t just walk into someone’s home and investigate their background without any reports or information to that effect. Poverty is not a crime in this country and we have to protect citizens’ privacy.”

Green added that the ministry could not afford to have a social worker walking around the country looking for child abuse cases.

She said her department had since taken note of the incident and a social officer attached to the East Coast of Demerara would soon make contact with the child’s father. She said whatever assistance the ministry could provide would be given to the victim’s siblings who are now homeless.

“But everyone has to be part of the whole process. If you stay silent in cases like these you are part of the problem, but if you speak out you are part of the solution,” Green declared.

Close relatives of Geeta’s seven other siblings told this newspaper yesterday that the fire had now left the single- parent household broken.

Yesterday, a few young men built a shed in front of the burnt-down house where the children are now dwelling.

Amrita Bissesar, the eldest, said the shed would be their temporary home during the day until they could afford to build back their home.

She added that her father had begun to ask persons for help.

When Stabroek News visited the children were all seated around the shed while a pot of food was on the fireside.

They said their father came home briefly after the fire yesterday afternoon and had to report to the police station. Yesterday their father had reported to work at an embassy in Georgetown.

Amrita also said neighbours and close friends have begun to donate a few household items and food, but they were still without a place to stay.

On Monday night, the children stayed at a neighbour while their father went somewhere else. However, Amrita said they could not stay at the neighbour’s home for too long and as such they were calling on members of the public to come forward and donate materials to reconstruct their home.

Another sibling mentioned that Geeta’s plight had been affecting her eating.

“Every time ah think about wha happen to she ah can hardly eat me food.”

The child said she was happy with the support they had received so far from residents, noting that persons had already undertaken to purchase clothes.

She added that because of Geeta’s mental condition she was kept indoors and tied to the bed. “But we never expect this would ah happen to she one day.”

Reports were that the nine-year-old was in the habit of leaving the home without permission and went missing for days.

She would sometimes be found behind wardrobes and cabinets of residents.

An aunt had told this newspaper that Geeta was sexually assaulted by young men in the area whenever she was left unattended.

Along with 11-year-old Rupa, six-year-old Kimberly, four-year-old Emanuel, five-year-old Sharon, Avinash and Sunita are now without a place to say. According to reports, the blaze apparently started through a small fire in the family’s fireside which was very close to a gas bottle.