–relatives relate life of abuse, call for justice
Relatives of the Enmore mother of five who died on Saturday night following a severe beating from a male relative are crying out for justice even as police yesterday said a post-mortem report indicated that the woman died from a brain tumour.
A release from the police said Dionne Matthias also known as Dionne Skeete died as a result of a brain tumour. The release said that the police were investigating reports that the woman was allegedly beaten by a male relative.
Stabroek News understands that the relative remained in police custody up to last evening.
Relatives are questioning the post-mortem report and said they still do not understand what the pathologist told them adding that the woman had suffered abuse for many years.
The woman’s death some time on Saturday night was a culmination of years of abuse her relatives said she suffered. She was reportedly treated “like dirt” by the man.
When Stabroek News visited her Lot 60 Enmore North, East Coast Demerara one-bedroom home, which has missing window panes, many of her relatives and friends were gathered discussing her final hours.
The mother of five was said to have been beaten on Friday night, an incident which saw her being kicked down the stairs by the man. This incident was witnessed by four of her five children and it was her nine-year-old son who had informed her grandmother that something was seriously wrong with his mother.
Reports are that on Friday Dionne relieved herself in her yard and this sent the relative into a rage. The two had gone to the Guinness Bar in Enmore and had just returned home. The woman was apparently unable to make it to the washroom and decided to urinate in the yard.
“Is pee she been peeing because she can’t mek it to the toilet and he beat she fuh duh. Is anything he use to beat me daughter for,” the woman’s mother Marva Johnson told Stabroek News yesterday.
As related to relatives by the woman’s children, the man hit her several times in the head before he kicked her down the flight of stairs.
“He den pick she up and cuff she up in she head,” one of her sons said.
The woman slept at home that night and on Saturday morning she went to her place of employment to collect her weekly wages and collapsed.
Her sister Shivonne Johnson said she placed her sister in a taxi and sent her home and it was reported that from around 10 am to 6 pm that day the man fanned the woman but refused to take her to the hospital.
“You see he ah doctor, he know wah happen to she suh he been a fan she,” her mother lamented yesterday.
It was only after the intervention of an older brother who insisted that his sister be taken to the hospital that the man took her but refused to allow anyone to accompany them to the hospital.
“You see even though she sick and she in pain and can’t cook when she come fuh she money she come to the canteen to get something fuh he to eat. Not fuh she children but fuh he,” her sister said.
‘Fall out de race’
As Marva Johnson spoke about the man who she said she stopped speaking to years ago because of his treatment of her daughter she said how he informed the family of Dionne’s death was like another blow.
“He call me son and seh ‘Marlon you sister fall out de race’. Dat is how he tell he dat he sister dead,” the woman said as tears streamed down her cheeks.
The man failed to return to the home since the woman’s death and he was arrested on Sunday night following a report to the police station by a public-spirited citizen.
A neighbour of the woman told Stabroek News that she had witnessed several of the beatings inflicted on the woman and every time she encouraged her to call it quits she would always say she wanted to save her marriage.
“It was all about saving the marriage and she was all fuh he and he family, always she was for them,” her mother said.
She said that it was why she was very hurt when the man’s mother and his brother reportedly told Kaieteur News that the man had never abused her daughter.
“De two a dem use to come and sometimes assault he when he beat Dionne. And now dem saying he ent use to beat she? Is bear lie. Dem know what de happening,” the woman lamented.
She said initially the family had taken a decision not to speak to the media as they wanted to await the post-mortem examination and while they had a problem with the man, his relatives never did them anything.
“Dem must be think we report de matter to the police but we ent even do that. We waiting on de post mortem. Is somebody report and de police come and tek statement from people and de children,” the sister said.
She said her sister never wanted to report the beatings to the police. The only incident reported was one which involved the shattering of a bus windscreen which occurred when a brother intervened in one of the many beatings the woman endured. The owner of the bus insisted that the windscreen be fixed and the matter was reported.
‘Better glass’
According to Dionne’s friend and neighbour she was beaten by her husband for almost anything.
One such example was when a male neighbour asked for some water and she gave him the water in a glass.
“He de standing on de road with he friends and den he come and say de glass she give de man is a better glass dan de one she does give he to use and licks fuh duh; everything is licks,” the woman said.
She was beaten another time because a male villager wished her a Happy New Year and “give her a pound.”
“Dat was her New Year gift from her husband, a beating and it was last year she had to deh running in water and I had to come out…,” her mother said. She said even though she knew her daughter was being beaten she never witnessed any of the beatings and her daughter never spoke about it.
However, she said she confronted the man on many occasions and this resulted in him being very disrespectful to her.
“He was wicked and disrespectful one time he tell me ‘Is you I marry? and things like dat he use to say. One time he ask one a she sister dat too,” the woman said
‘Severe headache’
The relatives are adamant that Dionne’s problem with her head resulted from the number of blows she suffered to her head from the man.
Her sister said that they took her to doctor and following a CAT scan it was revealed that she had a blood clot in her head and they were making arrangements to get her to Trinidad for medical treatment.
“He treat me sister real bad, he never treat she like a wife,” the sister said as she cried.
They said even if the man did not face justice on earth for what he did to the woman he would have to face it with God.
“God don’t sleep you know, he don’t sleep,” the sister said.
But they called for justice, stating that the woman’s children witnessed the abuse and the man should pay for his actions.
Dionne will be buried on Sunday.
