Increase in domestic violence
Just four months into 2018, and seven women have died at the hands of their partners while three more have been brutalised as domestic violence in Guyana continues to rise.
As the country is rocked by an increase of brutal violence against women, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan said it is not something that can just be tackled from a law enforcement perspective; rather, it requires intensified inter-agency collaboration.
“There is a lot of socioeconomic and non-law enforcement policies that will have to take care of that. Better parenting, schooling, the religious communities, have to deal with that. Law enforcement has to do when the law is broken, but, as a Government, we have an obligation to ensure prevention; but it is a very difficult thing to prevent when someone (is) feeling angry for whatever reason,” Ramjattan said.
“I don’t know what we can do, or how we can legislate against that. It is an extraordinarily difficult thing. What we have to do is to develop the community, ensure better education; but, there again, the officer (Orwain Sandy) that did what he did was an educated fella,” he added.
Minister Ramjattan said a lot of the issues that lead to domestic violence include socialization, or the lack of it. He added that there ought to be closer collaboration with the religious leaders, educational institutions, and parents, to ensure better development.
Twenty-six-year-old Stacy Singh, a mother of two small children, and originally from Guyana, was stabbed repeatedly in the back until dead, and left face-down in her Richmond Hill home on 103rd Ave, near 113th St, on New Year’s Day by her husband, Vinny Loknath.
Loknath, 46, committed suicide just after 11:00h in Forest Park, about 1 1/2 miles from the murder scene, sources said. He was found hanging from a tree in the park.
Just nineteen days after that murder, 21-year-old Lorinda Thomas of Baramita, North West District (NWD), a young mother of one, succumbed days after her reputed husband, Dhanraj Theophilus, dealt her a severe beating.
The young woman was beaten after a night of drinking with relatives, and was left lying unconscious at the corner of a road. However, days after she continued to feel pain, she was rushed to a health centre, where she succumbed.
Rosemary Rudder, 32 of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, tragically met her demise on March 31 after her lover strangled her during a scuffle in his Westminister, West Bank Demerara home, after which he turned himself in to the Police.
She reportedly barged in on her lover and another woman, which resulted in a scuffle between herself and the man. However, in the process, the woman fell to the floor, and an autopsy later showed that she was strangled to death.
Shortly afterwards, former captain of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Orwain Sandy, gunned down his reputed wife, Reona Payne, a 32-year-old mother of three, following a heated argument reportedly over infidelity.
The two were travelling in a car at First Street, Alexander Village when the woman exited the vehicle in hot pursuit by Sandy, who whipped out his service pistol and shot her. When the woman fell, he shot her 13 more times.
On April 13th, 36-year-old Onica King, a Guyanese mother of three, who was living in Barbados, was stabbed to death by her husband, who currently is still on the run.
The nail technician’s bloodied body was reportedly discovered by her children. Darmattie Persaud, a 23-year-old mother of two, was stabbed to death by her abusive husband, who later committed suicide. The incident occurred on April 19 in front of the couple’s Mahaica home.
And just three days ago, 42-year-old Dianne Hernandez was hanged by her husband of four years in their Good Intent, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home. The man, who later slit his throat, killed his dogs and torched his house following the murder, succumbed on Thursday.
Three other women also almost met their demise at the hands of their partners.
Thirty-two-year-old Sally Khan was tied up and severely beaten by her husband when she went to his Peter’s Hall home to pick up her two children.
Cristina Totaram was burned about her body with an electric iron and brutalised by her husband.
And just one day ago, 38-year-old Onica Kingston of Wismar, Linden, a mother of three, had to be rushed to the Linden hospital with first and second degree burns about her body. Those burns were inflicted on her by her husband, who threw a hot liquid on her. The woman is said to be battling for her life.
Since the nine reported incidents, activists around Guyana have risen up, calling for domestic violence to be addressed urgently. Speaking on the issue, Wintress White of the Red Thread noted that the issue has taken a “callous” turn.
According to the Red Thread activist, more needs to be done to fight the issue, as the current actions being taken are not working.
The Red Thread member called for more community awareness programmes to be launched urgently, and for the Police to become more vigilant when domestic violence matters are reported.
The Guyana Stop Violence organisation will be hosting the largest Domestic Violence Prevention march and rally to raise awareness on this issue.
The march, which will commence at Brickdam, will conclude at the Square of the Revolution. (Lakhram Bhagirat and Kizzy Coleman)
