Death of Fyrish child: Post-mortem confirms 7-year-old died from manual strangulation

A post-mortem examination conducted on Tuesday has confirmed that seven-year-old Isabella Dabadial of Fyrish Village, Corentyne, died as a result of manual strangulation, as investigations continue into the alleged murder, with the child’s mother remaining hospitalised. The examination was carried out at Bailey Funeral Home, Number Four Village, West Coast Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), by Government Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Brijmohan.
Police had previously reported that the child’s mother, 26-year-old Sarah Elizabeth Shivpersaud, allegedly killed the child and attempted to take the life of her younger child, a one-year-old boy, who survived the ordeal. Investigators were told that the woman had been experiencing frustration after her husband left the home several days prior and had reportedly complained of not having anything to eat on the morning of the incident. Following the alleged act, she reportedly attempted to take her own life and was subsequently hospitalised, where she remains under medical supervision.
The gruesome discovery was made by the children’s grandmother, who raised an alarm.
At the scene, the children’s grandmother, Lalita Badesi Bridgelal, recalled finding the mother and her children in the house when she rushed in after several calls to them went unanswered.
“When I reach by the window and pull the louvre, I see she lying there… the child lying down and the baby in the middle. I start calling and calling… only the little baby response; he raise he foot,” she told Guyana Times.
She recalled speaking with her daughter on Saturday evening, during which concerns were raised about issues at home. She said she checked on her again on Sunday morning and asked whether she should visit but was again told not to come. Bridgelal recalled telling her daughter that she was heading to church and would visit afterwards.
“She never really complain, but I know he used to beat she… the children does tell me they does see when they fighting.”
She claimed that her son-in-law would spend days away from home and claimed that he was seeing someone else.
That account, however, was contested by the children’s father, Kirwayne Dabadial, who acknowledged that the relationship had deteriorated in recent weeks but rejected claims of infidelity.
He, nevertheless, related that the couple had been together for approximately eight years, during which time arguments were not uncommon. He said the most recent breakdown occurred about two weeks ago after he discovered messages on Shivpersaud’s phone, which led to a confrontation.
“She message me and say I have 15 minutes to reach home or I would regret it,” he said.
“She call me and show me the children lying down… like they sleeping… and then she tell me it was too late.”
Police investigations into the matter are ongoing.