“Do not defend it, do not protect it” – Manickchand to families of perpetrators

…urges women to leave abusive relationships

Education Minister Priya Manickchand has made an appeal for women to leave abusive relationships and for families to stop enabling domestic violence, stressing that failing to act could lead to tragic consequences.
Her remarks come following the sentencing of Ryan Sugrim, who was handed a 24-year prison term on Tuesday in the High Court in Georgetown for the brutal murder of his ex-wife, Zaila Sugrim. Manickchand was present at the hearing since she had been Zaila’s attorney when she first escaped from her abusive marriage.
After years of enduring severe abuse, Zaila finally left the relationship and sought help through legal and social services. However, in 2019, she returned to Sugrim’s home to celebrate one of their children’s birthday. It was there that he shot her in the head, burned her body, and buried her in a shallow grave outside his house, while their children were inside.

Manickchand in a video message, recounted the abuse Zaila had suffered, saying she had been “isolated from her family, locked up in the house, isolated from any other human beings, severely beaten, emotionally abused, [and] financially abused.” Despite escaping to a shelter and receiving support, she ultimately returned, a decision Manickchand described as part of the complex and painful reality of abusive relationships.
Addressing families who may turn a blind eye to domestic violence, Manickchand urged them to take action before it is too late. “If you know somebody, your son is being abusive, it’s your duty in his interest and in your interest, not in a woman’s interest, to stop him, or else this could be your son going to jail for a long, long, long time,” she warned.
She also spoke directly to women in abusive relationships, cautioning them against believing promises of change from their abusers.
“Anybody who’s sick enough to beat you up, lock you away from family, that is a disease. It is something sick in his head, and that doesn’t get cured because he says he will cure it,” she stated. “It doesn’t even get cured because he wants to. He has to go and get serious medical interventions and psychological interventions to be able to change, and if he’s not getting that, trust me, you could end up dead.”
“Do not defend it”
Manickchand emphasised that domestic violence is not a private matter but a societal issue that requires collective action.
“Do not defend it, do not protect it, do not excuse it, do not enable people being violent or abusive in their homes,” she urged.

Using Zaila’s case as a tragic example, Manickchand reminded women of the dangers of staying in or returning to an abusive situation.
“The day before Zaila Sugrim was murdered, I bet you she would tell you, ‘No, that’s not going to be me,’” she said. “Because I’m out, I’ve gotten out. I’m now just visiting my kids.” But, she warned, “You can’t [think that way], because this is happening to women in relationships, not only in Guyana, but across the world.”
Manickchand stressed that while men should be held accountable for their actions, women must also take responsibility for their own safety.
“Once men are beating, hitting, [or] abusing you in any way, you have to take responsibility for yourself and get out and stay out of that relationship,” she said.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Justice Damone Younge initially set a base sentence of 30 years but added seven years for aggravating factors, including the attempt to destroy evidence and a history of domestic abuse. After deducting one year for mitigating circumstances and applying a one-third reduction for his guilty plea, the sentence was reduced to 24 years. With five years already served on remand, Sugrim will spend the next 19 years behind bars.
During sentencing, victim impact statements revealed the devastating toll the murder had on Zaila’s family. Prosecutors argued that Sugrim had shown no true remorse, and Justice Younge ruled that the nature of the crime warranted severe punishment.