The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has discontinued proceedings against a mother of six charged with attempting suicide.
This was revealed when the 40-year-old woman re-appeared at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The matter had been set for sentencing after the woman pleaded guilty to the charge last month. At the time, she had told the court that she attempted suicide after the police did not respond to a report made that she was raped. She had been granted bail in the sum of $30 000.
When the matter was called yesterday, the court was informed that the DPP was discontinuing the matter. The woman was told that she was free to leave by Magistrate Nyasha Williams-Hatmin.
Following a report in this newspaper, the police had said that an “eager investigating rank” had proceeded with a charge of attempted suicide against the woman and this was being dealt with. The police force then forwarded the matter to the DPP for advice.
When she had first appeared in court, the woman had said that she had reported the matter on the day it occurred and the police promised to deal with it but did not. She said that she became frustrated and, not knowing what to do, she drank poison the next day. The court was told that she was hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital and discharged on December 1. When she was discharged from the hospital, she was charged.
The woman had told the court that she did not know that attempting suicide was a criminal offence and only learnt this when the social worker informed her.
The man who allegedly raped the woman has been charged. Last month Intacam Santool called ‘David,’40, of 1857 Parfait Harmonie, West Bank Demerara was not required to plead to the indictable offence of rape and was remanded to prison by Magistrate Williams-Hatmin. It is alleged that on November 25 at Parfait Harmonie he had carnal knowledge of the female without her consent. The matter is ongoing.