Anthony Francis holds a picture of his daughter, Adeisha, at The Tribune office.
UPDATE: 15-year-old Adeisha Francis has been found safe and well and is currently at the Wilamae Pratt Centre for girls. See tomorrow's Tribune for full story.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE government will be held responsible for what happens to a 15-year-old girl who went missing after she was released from police custody to the care of people that were not her guardians, the girl’s distraught father declared yesterday.
Anthony Francis said he will try to see Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade today as the well-being of his still missing daughter has been jeopardised by “shoddy police work.”
A day after she was arrested for allegedly stealing from a store off Wulff Road on April 26, Adeisha Francis was released by police to “people unrelated to her,” despite her father’s frantic round of visits to at least three New Providence police stations in an ultimately failed attempt at ensuring his daughter was secure.
Three weeks before she was arrested by police, Adeisha – who has a history of “problems” her relatives say – was reported missing after she allegedly stole her brother’s car and ran away. It is unclear why the public was never informed that she was missing.
“I’m going to see the commissioner of police at the headquarters because they didn’t follow the appropriate procedures,” Mr Francis said yesterday.
“You see how many stations I been to?” he asked, referring to his statement that after learning about his daughter’s arrest on Facebook he “was given the run around” by police, visiting the Quakoo Police Station, the Wulff Road Police Station and the Central Police Station in an attempt to get police to secure his daughter.
“It was a wasted effort,” he said. “They promised me they wouldn’t let her go. That’s a minor. You released a minor into the custody of people you don’t even know and you still can’t find her? I’m very hurt and highly disappointed because I assisted the police, let them know they have someone in custody using an alias, let them know she has a matter pending from another station and I did all the run around and they still let her go to people who wouldn’t have been capable of providing identification showing they are responsible for her. My daughter could go out there and get killed and I’m holding the government responsible right now. She in their care now.”
Mr Francis said all his relatives are helping him search for his daughter.
And while police officials remain tight lipped about whose care the girl was released into, Mr Francis insists it could not have been someone related to her.
The girl’s mother, he said, died in 2010.
When contacted by The Tribune on Friday police officials down played concerns about the girl’s whereabouts. Superintendent Theophilus Cunningham, officer in charge of the Wulff Road Police Station, said the girl was released to “senior relatives” on “matters pending” and could easily be found.
He added that she would be back into police custody by Friday evening. Up to press time last night, however, the girl was still missing.
Comments
BahamianAway 10 years, 7 months ago
She ain't missing, she clearly ran away and left willingly with whoever came to collect her. While on one hand I feel for this man...I say leave her. If she ran away she get what she get....
Brenard 10 years, 7 months ago
First of all, the officers who released the girl should be held accountable if in fact they failed to follow release procedures by law. If those over authority within the police force fail to offer resolve, then the government should unleash punishment upon both the officers and their superiors. Now if this chain of command fails, we then see that we possess bigger issues. You can't just jump up and say, "I BLAME THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE SOME WATLESS OFFICERS FAILED ME". Chain of commands exist for a reason, if that fails then the government can be held to account.
From an earlier story on this matter, I realized this girl is both confused and troublesome. However, that does not justify to brush the issue under the rug nor say to her father that he should let go of her. Jehovah nor Jesus did that to us. @BAHAMIANAWAY
BahamianAway 10 years, 7 months ago
NO, what I am saying is if this girl has a history of running away, misbehaving and such then why are we wasting tax payers money and police time searching for a person who clearly went willingly to wherever she may be.
Meanwhile other people are being murdered, raped and robbed UNWILLINGLY...shouldn't we focus on those.
The way I look at it now...Nassau is a free for all. Why waste time on those who don't want help...
Guy 10 years, 7 months ago
Because she is a CHILD, who is not yet entitled by law or reason to make her own decisions. How outrageous can it be that a troubled teenage child is arrested and released into the custody of persons not authorized to take or properly take care of her. The police had a responsibility here and no amount of ducking can excuse them if they didn't follow the law or proper procedures here.
BahamianAway 10 years, 7 months ago
If she was arrested for shoplifting she should have been released into the custody of the Girl's Industrial School.
And we wonder why the Bahamas is the way it is...LOL!!! Nothing will ever change....crime will only get worse.
242in404 10 years, 7 months ago
Exactly! The police were completely negligent in releasing this MINOR to people who are not her legal guardian. That is just standard procedure in any country.
BahamianAway 10 years, 7 months ago
No where in this article does it say the police were not aware whoever collected her were not authorized to.
This girl is a known troublemaker, it isn't far-fetched to assume that she could have lied and said whoever was collecting her was authorized to do so. What are the police suppose to do...order an on the spot DNA to prove parental match. And in this day and age so many out of wed-lock children can't even go by last names.
For all we know whoever collected her could have pretended to be the legal guardian and she might have gone right along with it in an attempt to continue her misbehaving.
Basically don't rush to condemn the police for failing at their job, when we don't know under what circumstances she was released.
Also did anyone catch the part where she has another matter pending at another station...WTF why was she even released. She should have been charged and taken to GIS pronto. If anything the police fell down on that job for releasing a known criminal (don't give to shiites her age) back into society to reek more havoc.
thomas 10 years, 7 months ago
REALLY...show proper identification, a passport, birth certificate,...keep her until government issued identification is produced.
BahamianAway 10 years, 7 months ago
And again who is to say they didn't produce documentation...
242in404 10 years, 7 months ago
I'm sure they would have said that is what happened.
Brenard 10 years, 7 months ago
If i can get away with being an unruly adolescent, why not upgrade my game to armed robbery and later to murder? I'm already stealing my brothers car and shoplifting. Sure, redirect all of your resources to the more seasoned offenders. Within a months time, I would have my promotion of being a seasoned offender myself.
Do you see the link now?
BahamianAway 10 years, 7 months ago
She should have been placed in the GIS and not released even to her father. I get the link, but all I am saying is the police must use resources to find a girl who willingly went missing as oppposed to trying to find a person who was really abducted and probably lying butchered on some track road out Carmicheal.
Just saying....priorities. Sorry but this girl would not be a top priority to me if I were a police. If I had time and extra resources yes...
Brenard 10 years, 7 months ago
The police force has enough resources for all issues concerning their expertise. However, such resources are misused, officers lack discipline and other officers lack contribution. It's not an issue of short handed resources, that is just a cloud to cover the publics eyes in which redirects attention away from the forces' incompetence.
I can't agree with you on that point you made. We must all be open minded while logic is be applied. She was a minor, we are all lost in our own unique way, some worst than others. No one stated that she was more of a priority than a murder, kidnapping or rape. I think it would be unfair to even debate which should be more of a priority. Crime is crime. The fact is, she is a minor who desperately needs love, direction and discipline. Being a citizen of the Bahamas should at least entitle a person to that.
Brenard 10 years, 7 months ago
The police force has enough resources for all issues concerning their expertise. However, such resources are misused, officers lack discipline and other officers lack contribution. It's not an issue of short handed resources, that is just a cloud to cover the publics eyes in which redirects attention away from the forces' incompetence.
I can't agree with you on that point you made. We must all be open minded while logic is be applied. She was a minor, we are all lost in our own unique way, some worst than others. No one stated that she was more of a priority than a murder, kidnapping or rape. I think it would be unfair to even debate which should be more of a priority. Crime is crime. The fact is, she is a minor who desperately needs love, direction and discipline. Being a citizen of the Bahamas should at least entitle a person to that.
John 10 years, 7 months ago
The good thing is the child has been found...She is presently at the Willie Mae Pratt School for Girls. But wait this school also has a history of escapes. Did they put her in special confinement with extra precautions in place? At least we know some fathers are active in their children's lives. Too bad in this instance it is a problem child. But there is still hope.
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