The male surgical ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital was in uproar yesterday when a woman, who had burnt her lover with hot oil, showed up to visit him while his relatives were there.
Keith Cox, 29, of Lot 12 Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge, suffered burns to his face, chest and other parts of his body.
The perpetrator of Sophia, said to be in her early forties, was initially taken into custody but was reportedly released on station bail and visited Cox yesterday afternoon while his relatives were there.
“Baby don’t worry,” the woman told Cox. “Everything gun be all right. Just remember that I love you. Yuh gat to be strong now fuh all two ah we, jus tell yuhself that yuh gun be all right and that God gun heal yuh and help yuh fuh get up out a dis bed an come home again. He gun heal yuh an bring yuh through dis.”
However, one of Cox’s irate relatives interrupted: “He gat to listen to he family not you. Look at wuh you do to me cousin. An you coming now fuh tell he bout God? Yuh shoulda know bout God before you do wuh yuh do to he.”
An argument ensued and as the decibel level rose, persons visiting other patients and able-bodied patients in the open ward, gathered around. The nurses left their stations in a bid to quiet the women down but their efforts proved futile.
According to the woman, “he harm me, an I harm he back. Nobody ain’t see wuh he doing to me. People does trip an duh is wuh happen to me duh day. But I love me man an I wan see he get betta to.”
It was not until she decided to leave that the peace returned to the ward.
When Stabroek News had visited Cox at the hospital on Wednesday, he could barely mumble a few words. He was unable to open his eyes and the affected areas were severely swollen and black, while the skin on his chest was peeling. Yesterday, his condition seemed improved. He was able to open his eyes and was more alert and responsive. In addition, his speech was clearer and relatively intelligible.
According to reports, Cox was asleep at his girlfriend’s Sophia home on Tuesday when she doused him with hot oil. His entire face was badly burnt along with parts of his arms, chest, back, abdomen and feet.
Speaking to this newspaper, a cousin of the patient who requested to remain anonymous said that at approximately 2.30 on Tuesday afternoon she was alerted by way of a telephone call that her cousin had been badly burnt.
The relative explained that based on information she had received, the victim’s girlfriend of three months alleged that he had beaten her earlier in the day and she waited until he was asleep, placed some oil on the fire to boil and then drenched him with it.
The cousin said Cox was not an abusive person and he had only returned home to Guyana from the United States a year ago. She added that she had warned Cox about the woman.
She said, the family will pursue the matter in a bid to have justice.
According to her the emphasis is placed for the most part on violence against women and it seems that the said issue against men is not being properly addressed.