Jagdeo: Acid attack on children part of terror campaign; perpetrators must face justice

The acid attack on three pupils and two teacher of Château Margot Primary School was a deliberate act intended to spread fear among families, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said on Thursday, calling for the perpetrators to be arrested and charged with attempted murder and terrorism.

The incident occurred on Monday amid unrest across the country, when two men on motorcycles threw a corrosive substance, suspected to be acid, on the pupils and teachers outside the school, located on the East Coast of Demerara. The victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Speaking to reporters at his weekly press briefing at Freedom House on Thursday, Jagdeo said the attack was calculated, with the objective to create terror.

“It could be any child… and somebody randomly comes up and throw something on them… it was designed to create fear,” VP Jagdeo expressed.

He also called for those responsible—both the attackers and those who orchestrated the crime—to be identified and prosecuted.

“This didn’t happen just like that. It was designed to spread fear into parents and this is not just about Indo-Guyanese parents…. But imagine if your parent regardless of where you live, and you have your child, you’re worried now about that. This is part of the campaign of terror that they wage,” he noted.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall said the suspects could be charged under Section 309E of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, which outlines penalties for terrorist acts. If convicted, offenders face 10 to 15 years in prison and fines starting at $500,000. If the act results in death, the penalty includes the death sentence and a $1.5 million fine.