When the history of this era is written our children’s grandchildren will look back in disgust at the endemic and barbarous violence of this period, especially that being meted out to women and girls, and wonder at what could have been wrong with their antecedents. That is, of course, if there are any of them left to read it, given the rate at which women, who are expected to give birth to our future generations, are being killed, battered and maimed.
October has been a particularly bloody month for women.
Just days ago on October 29, the partly decomposed body of 29-year-old Anjanie Mahdoo called ‘Pinky’ of Alexander Village was found in a canal at LBI, East Coast Demerara.
On October 23, Hemwattie Louchand known as Lisa was picked up by the police off the floor of her home; she was unconscious. She was admitted to and remains a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital, but claims she cannot recall how she sustained her injuries. Several witnesses have pointed to a man close to her, who was arrested and subsequently released on $20,000 bail, because police said they needed a statement from Louchand in order to press charges.
On October 14, Trevlyn Nicholson, a 23-year-old mother of one of D’Edward Village West Coast Berbice was hacked to death after she objected to a text message her husband had received. Her mother, Rolyn Alexander, 48, had tried to intervene and was also severely chopped. Trevlyn Nicholson’s husband, Andson ‘Andy’ Nicholson has since been charged and remanded to prison. Even prior to marriage, Trevlyn had been constantly brutalized by her husband, relatives had said, recounting instances where reports had been made to the police.
One day earlier, on October 13, 25-year-old Nafeeza Khan, a mother of three girls aged one month, one year and three years, was stabbed to death at her Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara home. Her reputed husband Mohan Basdeo called ‘Lalta’ has since been charged with her murder. According to reports, frequent quarrels – some three to four a week – had characterized their life together. These quarrels usually ended with hitting, neighbours said, and several reports had been made to the police. Khan had left on several occasions, but always returned.
A day prior, on October 12, 25-year-old Alicia Foster was gunned down outside her Thomas Street, Kitty home, execution style. According to reports, the senior environmental officer and her younger sister had just returned home from a wake. The sister got out of the car to open the gate and a gunman approached Alicia and demanded that she step out the car. She apparently did not comply and was shot in the face and flung out of the vehicle. The gunman and an accomplice then fled in the vehicle, which was later found abandoned at Well Road, North Ruimveldt with the keys missing. One man was held, but subsequently released after not being recognized at an identification parade.
There were also several other incidents during the year, including the chopping and injuring of 28-year-old Natasha Ramphal of Industry on September 30, by a man who later succumbed to a poisonous substance he had ingested; and the murder of 13-year-old Kavita Panday, whose body was found in a trench at West Berbice. A 16-year-old boy has since been charged with killing Panday.
Then there was Fiona Fraser-McPherson whose body was found under a bed at her Supply, East Bank Demerara home in July, with her hands tied behind her back and a vest tied around her neck. Her husband fled, but later turned up at a police station where he confessed to killing her. According to reports, they had quarrelled often; the husband frequently accused his wife of infidelity and bullied her.
In June, Simone Fiedtkou of Bartica was repeatedly stabbed about the body. She survived; her reputed husband was charged with attempted murder. That same month, the battered and nude body of 15-year-old Sheliza Khan was found on the Hope Estate Road, East Coast Demerara.
In April Shaneiza Khan, 22, was found dead with her throat slit, in the home she once shared with her reputed husband at Enmore. A wanted bulletin has been issued for the man.
Unfortunately, these are by no means all of the incidents in which women have been injured or killed for this year in Guyana. Nor is this only happening here. Statistics from Jamaica published recently have revealed that the killing of women in that country is up 30% this year as against last year.
As frightening as the thought is, there is little doubt that similar statistics would be found the world over. In its ground-breaking multi-country study on women’s health and domestic violence, the World Health Organisation says in summary, “gender-based violence, or violence against women, is a major public health and human rights problem throughout the world.” It has profound implications for health but is often ignored… One of the most common forms of [violence against women] is that performed by a husband or male partner. This type of violence is frequently invisible since it happens behind closed doors, and effectively, when legal systems and cultural norms do not treat it as a crime, but rather as a private family matter, or a normal part of life.”
The report made some 15 recommendations, including education, sensitizing the legal and justice systems, enlisting social, political and religious leaders to speak out against the scourge and promoting gender equality, none of which are new. The question is why has it been so difficult to implement them, and the answers perhaps lie in the way some of us are socialized, but we should no longer be contented with that as a response.
The time has come for drastic measures − naming, shaming and ostracizing perpetrators; charging and fining police officers who ignore reports; pursuing prosecution even when the abused woman suffers memory loss or changes her story. If something is not done, apart from all of the talking that is going on, bloody October will turn into bloodier November and so on. The time to act is now.
