Jesse Ramdeo
Senior Reporter
jesse.ramdeo@cnc3.co.tt
An autopsy conducted on 11-year-old Arianna Ramdial has found that she died from complications caused by a severe infection that led to acute left ventricular heart failure.
This was confirmed by a senior police official, who said Arianna died of natural causes.
“The autopsy stated the cause of death was acute left ventricular failure, bronchopneumonia with pleural effusions and pleural infusions and pericardinal effusion.”
In an interview with Guardian Media after the autopsy at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope, her father, Suresh Ramdial, described a medical explanation that he said felt almost too cruel to process.
“It’s a whole lot of infection that caused the heart to swell up. Something like sand in the lungs and around the lungs caused the lungs to swell up, also the brain got infected,” he said.
At the time, he said only he and the child’s mother were briefed on the findings, and he was still waiting to see the official post-mortem report.
There had been speculation following her death that physical abuse may have been a factor.
Yet, despite days of speculation and blame, Ramdial yesterday insisted that a Caroni Hindu School classmate previously accused of harming his daughter had nothing to do with her death.
“The child in school who they are blaming had nothing to do with that,” he said.
Arianna died last Thursday after several days of worsening illness, igniting confusion and grief as conflicting accounts surfaced about bullying, physical and sexual abuse.
Guardian Media confirmed that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service’s Special Victims Unit was investigating a report of sexual abuse against the child.
In a previous interview with Guardian Media, Ramdial said his daughter had previously disclosed sexual abuse to him, an allegation he believes was never properly investigated.
“That rape took place in 2024, August or September. I only saw my child in June 2025. That was the first time I saw her since the raping, and that is the only time I get to find out from my daughter herself,” he said last week.
He said when he confronted the child’s mother, he was told the matter had been “handled,” but he disagreed strongly.
“It’s not being handled how it’s supposed to. That length of time people are supposed to be arrested by now, an investigation supposed to be going on and nothing ever takes place.”
Ramdial said he contacted the Children’s Authority hotline at the time, hoping intervention would follow.
He said the tragedy was not only how his daughter died, but how she lived.
Following Arianna’s death, a senior official from the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, which operates the Caroni Hindu School, said the organisation was “deeply hurt and devastated” by the Standard Four student’s death, noting that investigations by police and the Ministry of Education are underway.
Maha Sabha secretary general Vijay Maharaj said initial reports from school officials suggested bruising had been observed on the child, and there were reports of possible abuse.
“Our children are deeply traumatised at this point,” Maharaj said.
Yesterday, Maharaj said support continues to be provided to students affected by Arianna’s death.
“This morning, there was a meeting at the Caroni Hindu School, together with the CEO, the director of school supervision, and the school supervisory and social services, who met to try and work a way forward. In less than 2 weeks, over 70 children will be writing the SEA exam, a lot of them are traumatised right now.”
However, a close relative had disputed the Maha Sabha’s claims, insisting there were no signs of violence and suggesting Arianna had instead been bullied at school.
According to the relative, the child complained of shoulder pain after being pushed against a concrete sink by another child and later developed fever, vomiting and weakness.
Guardian Media was unable to confirm the funeral arrangements for Arianna.
