– suffered years of abuse
Unthinkable, bizarre and unforgiveable are only a few of the words which observers used yesterday to describe the manner in which a 55-year-old mother of four met her demise on Sunday night, after suffering years of domestic abuse at the hands of one of her children.
Dead is Ramattie Deonauth, of Lot 41 Croal Street, Enterprise, East Coast Demerara, who according to the police, was discovered motionless in her bed around 5 am yesterday.
Speaking at his mother’s home last evening, Davendra Deonauth told this newspaper that his mother had been suffering years of abuse at the hands of his elder brother He said his mother did domestic work around the village to support her family, adding that his father is paralysed from the waist down and is confined to his bed.
His father, Siew Deonauth, told this newspaper last evening that his son often took advantage of his ailment and would beat him and his wife whenever he went home under the influence of alcohol.
Darshanie (only name given), a family friend who lived with the deceased, recounting the events leading to her friend’s death, stated that the woman’s son had been drinking during the day on Sunday at a nearby “wedding house”. She said he returned home around 3 pm and asked his mother for his food. The woman said Deonauth told her son that she had not prepared any food for him since there was nothing in the kitchen to cook.
Darshanie said that the man then started to assault his mother, which she noted was a normal occurrence, kicking and cuffing her about her body in the process. She said he also turned his attention to his father but following the intervention of neighbours, he left the house.
The woman’s husband stated that his son returned home around 8:30 pm and continued to physically assault his mother, demanding that she prepare his dinner. He said his son hit him several times about his body after he reprimanded him for hitting his mother. The widower related that his son then pulled the woman into her bedroom and after bolting the door, he mercilessly beat her about her body. He said the loud music being played at a nearby house drowned out his voice as he tried to call out to neighbours for assistance.
During this time, Darshanie related, she was hiding under the victim’s bed as the man trampled on his mother, even as the hapless woman cried out for help.
She said he tore her clothes off her body in the process, while slamming her head on whatever surface he could find, screaming several expletives as he brutalised her. She said that after about an hour, he left the house, leaving his motionless mother on the floor.
Davendra told this newspaper that around 5.30 am yesterday his elder brother went over to his Enterprise Gardens home and in tears informed him that his mother was dead.
He said he immediately went over to his mother’s home where his worst fears were confirmed.
The man said that his brother slept in another room while his father slept outside on the floor. He opined that his brother may only have realised what he had done when he woke up yesterday morning. He said his parents were very poor and his brother, who should have been providing for them, “only keep beating them when he want he own way.” He said his brother, who lived with their parents all his life, would physically abuse his mother whenever he went home from the cane fields, where he works as a cane cutter, and found no food on the table. He said he and his sister made reports to the Vigilance Police Station on a number of occasions on his brother’s treatment towards their mother but she would plead with the police to release him since she would often say that he was her son.
The woman’s relatives told Stabroek News that the man tried to persuade his father several times yesterday morning not to tell anyone what transpired. They said that he also tried to escape from the village but was stopped by his relatives.
According to the police, the suspect is in police custody assisting with investigations.
Recently, there has been an increase in the number of women who met their demise after suffering years of abuse. However, in those cases the victims suffered at the hands of their partners.
