In a bizarre attack early yesterday morning, a gang of some 20 men robbed and assaulted a family of four on Sheriff Street in full view of many onlookers but no one attempted to render assistance.
At least two of the men, who were armed with guns, brandished their weapons during the assault. The lone male in the family sustained a gaping wound to his right ear and was also injured in his right side during a struggle with the gang.
Reports are that some time after 2 am yesterday the family had just left the Sheriff Night Club and entered a taxi when the gang descended on them. They were dragged out of the taxi, beaten and stripped of their clothing; two of the three females were sexually assaulted and they were robbed of $100,000.
Stabroek News caught up with the family at their south Georgetown home yesterday. They spoke about the attack openly but requested anonymity. At the time of the interview, the male family member was at home recuperating after being discharged from the hospital.
One of women who escaped with minor injuries said they were in the night club having a drink when her husband knocked over a glass and spilled drink on a group of men sitting nearby. She said her husband was “high” after having had one too many drinks and had accidentally knocked over the glass.
“He did not mean it but they could not understand that. They wanted us to pay back for the drinks and pay extra. We did not mind paying for the drinks but not extra,” she related.
She said they left the club immediately and stopped a taxi. They had all entered the taxi when the gang of men attacked them. According to her, her mother was the first one pulled out of the car then her younger sister.
The woman said she was in the car with her husband when the men attempted to pull them out. Her husband held onto her and refused to let go. One of the men pulled out a gun, but her husband fought with them, she said, until one of them broke a bottle and stabbed him in his ear. According to her, they were screaming but no one went to their assistance. The men then took the money from her husband and also relieved her younger sister of cash she was carrying.
“I did not know what was happening to my mother and sister but I heard them screaming too. I was holding onto my husband all the time,” she said.
Based on what the sister told her, she said, the men tore down her underwear and assaulted her before taking the money she was hiding. They also stripped her mother down to her underwear and assaulted her as well, also dealing her several blows about the body. After inflicting the beating on the family and relieving them of the money the men went back into the club.
Left with no money, she said, they were on the road in such a condition until a taxi stopped but the man demanded money to make the hospital trip. She took off her earrings and paid the man with them. At the hospital, her husband was treated for his wounds. She said the men stabbed her husband in the ear and had attempted to stab him in the abdomen but the second attempt failed and his skin was merely scraped.
The family reported the incident at the Kitty Police Station. The mother who had marks of violence about her body yesterday said she could not believe all that had happened over a spilt drink. She said the men appeared to have been watching them earlier and realised that her son-in-law had a stack of money on him. The woman is convinced the men wanted the money and came after them for it.
She said what happened to her and her younger daughter was terrible and recalled that she was so ashamed at the time since there were many people on the road. She said the men just violated them and no one said anything or did anything. Though they had guns, she said, there were enough people for someone to say something.
It was the first time the family visited the Sheriff Night Club. She said they have no plans to go back there ever again.
