A mentally challenged nine-year-old girl was burnt to ashes yesterday afternoon when the house, in which she was chained to a bed, went up in flames.

Geeta Bissessar of South Le Ressouvenir Pasture, East Coast Demerara was at home alone and chained by her foot to a bed when the fire engulfed the home.

Close relatives of the child told this newspaper that Geeta’s single parent father would shackle her to the bed with a chain whenever he was leaving for work. Geeta was in the habit of leaving the house without permission.

The man was not seen on the site even after the police had removed the badly burnt skeletal remains of his daughter.

Indira Phagoo one of Geeta’s aunts told this newspaper that the child had gone missing for more than two days in the past. Phagoo related that on many of these occasions she was found in the homes of residents hiding behind their wardrobes and cabinets. She said too that there were occasions when young men in the area had sexually assaulted the child. “And for that reason I used to look after her whenever I could. I used to give her a little help here and there because she used to go on the road and beg people fuh money and dem boys used to take advantage of her.”

Phagoo mentioned too that Geeta had started school but used to “get away”.

“She father used to send she ah school but she used to get away and go on the road and beg people.”

Reports are that yesterday, the child’s father, who is a gardener attached to an embassy, went to work leaving the child chained to the bed. Geeta’s other siblings, 11-year-old Rupa, six-year-old Kimberly, four-year- old Emanuel, five-year-old Sharon, Avinash and Sunita also left for school leaving her home alone.

Sunita, who is the second child of her parents, said Geeta was left lying on the bed.

She said her other siblings returned home at midday for their lunch and later went back to school.

She said that it was around 1:20 pm, while in class that she got the news that their house was on fire. “I immediately think about Geeta because I know she was left in the house and when I run come, the house was already burn down and she dead.”

Sunita said there was still a small fire in their “fireside” which was very close to a gas bottle. She could not say what might have caused the fire, but noted that the heat from the “fireside” could have ignited the bottle.

A resident of Le Ressouvenir told this newspaper that he saw thick smoke coming from the two-bedroom flat house but did not respond immediately since from time to time smoke would come from the fireside. “But when I see the smoke getting thick and thick I know something was happening and me and someone other boys run with buckets to the house to out the fire.”

The man said they tried hard to control the fire, throwing buckets of muddy water on the building to no avail. He said that while fighting the fire they were not aware that Geeta was in the house and as such no attempts were made to rescue her.

The resident said someone called the Guyana Fire Service, which responded shortly but only to control the smoke from the already gutted house.

Sunita said they were very poor and did not possess too many household articles, but even so nothing was saved. She said she had another sister who was married at 16 and was now residing in Mahaica.

When Stabroek News arrived close relatives of the victim were tumbling through the rubble looking for her body.

As the search continued two bed frames were unearthed from the debris and on one was a short chain. The upper section of Geeta’s body was found near to the chain. Her feet had been completely severed from her body. Her back and belly were black ash. The hair from her head was burnt. Her face was disfigured.

Residents sobbed as the child’s remains were gathered under a piece of zinc and secured by a policeman. The body was later removed and taken to a city morgue.

Phagoo recalled that ever since the children’s mother died two years ago, the family had been struggling to survive. She said their father worked hard to send them to school. The woman said neighbours would sometimes contribute to the children’s welfare but because of Geeta’s mental condition she was always on the road when left unattended.

Many persons said children like Geeta should have received special attention from institutions in the country. They felt more could have been done her, noting that her father had tried his best.