President Dr. Irfaan Ali has signalled his full support for reconsidering the use of the death penalty for particularly heinous crimes, following the shocking death of six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice.
The President has instructed Attorney General Anil Nandlall to examine the legal implications of capital punishment and other measures aimed at addressing serious crimes.
Speaking to News Room journalist Neil Marks on Tuesday, President Ali described the child’s killing as “atrocious” and argued that the severity of certain offences demands the strongest possible response.
“The death penalty is something that we have to look at if we want to really send a strong signal,” the President said.
When pressed on whether he fully supported capital punishment as that signal, Ali responded: “100%.”
The President acknowledged the human rights considerations surrounding the death penalty but maintained that crimes of an exceptionally disturbing nature warrant serious examination of the penalties available under the law.
He stressed, however, that the judicial process must be allowed to take its course.
His comments followed the discovery of Orlando’s body in a canal at Bath Settlement early Tuesday morning, bringing a tragic end to the search for the child, who had been reported missing since October 14.
The boy’s father, Bharrat Jaikarran, remains in police custody after reportedly admitting to investigators that he killed his son.
Region Five Commander, Senior Superintendent Lonsdale Whithrite, confirmed to News Room that information provided by the father led investigators to the child’s body.
A post-mortem examination is expected to determine the cause of death.
Meanwhile, President Ali said the public’s reaction to the tragedy underscored the need for a serious national examination of punishment for particularly grave offences.
Although capital punishment remains part of Guyana’s legal framework, the country has not carried out an execution since August 1997, when two convicted murderers were hanged at the Georgetown Prison.
The President’s latest position has renewed attention on the longstanding debate over capital punishment, its application and the legal and human rights considerations surrounding its enforcement.
Source: News Room, October 20, 2026.
