By Shabna Ullah
An 18-year-old waitress of Santa Rosa Restaurant & Bar on the Corentyne who was seen drinking with friends at ‘Dust Till Dawn,’ a bar at Port Mourant died after she was apparently gang raped early yesterday morning.
Around 5:30 am yesterday cane-cutters, on their way to work saw the teen, Deokali “Tina” Peter lying naked on the roadside obliquely opposite Dust Till Dawn, groaning in pain. She died at around 8 am without seeking medical attention.
Three acquaintances are in custody assisting with investigations and a post- mortem examination is expected to be performed today.
One of the cane-harvesters took off his shirt and gave it to the young lady to cover herself and they then carried her to residents who assisted her with a pair of pants. Peter who was shivering asked the residents for some water and they gave it to her and returned indoors.
The residents said that the woman tried in vain to flag down transportation to go to the hospital while calls made to the police went unanswered. The teen was covered with mud and her clothes which police later found nearby were also muddy.
Police sources told Stabroek News that the teen who hails from Skeldon left home two years ago and currently has no fixed place of abode. She had last stayed at a friend’s house at Hampshire Squatting Area.
Another acquaintance who works at the Embassy Club bar told this newspaper that she was drinking at Dust Till Dawn with two male friends when she saw Peter entering with a group of young men around 11 pm.
She said that Peter who appeared to be intoxicated asked for a cigarette and remained at the bar with the men and continued drinking. The friend said she left to go home and didn’t hear anything about Peter after that.
According to police reports, the waitresses at Dust Till Dawn related that after the bar closed up at 1 am and they were leaving to go home and they saw Peter sitting alone on the roadside.
The friend’s mother related that the teen was out drinking earlier and had returned home and was already “tight.” She said she told her she was “going out on the road again and ah tell she don’t go because she de tell me her stomach hurting she.”
The woman said Peter insisted on going out and she was shocked to receive the news of her demise yesterday morning.
