An autopsy conducted on the body of breast cancer patient Sandra Alli found marks of violence to the back, blunt trauma to the head and that she was underfed, her friend Sharon Harding said.
Following Alli’s death on September 13, at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) several reports of abuse were made to the Ministry of Human Services and the autopsy was subsequently ordered.
Harding, who has been instrumental in getting the relevant authorities to investigate the allegations of abuse which she insists Alli suffered, told Stabroek News yesterday that she spoke with Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh after he conducted the post-mortem examination (PME). “I spoke with him [Singh] in his office and he explained to me that there multiple marks to her back as well as blunt trauma to the head,” Harding said. “He also told me that based on the conditions he observed in her body Sandra was undernourished, meaning that she was not being fed… I am still working on collecting the post-mortem report.”
Several attempts to contact Singh via telephone for confirmation of Harding’s reports were futile. When contacted yesterday afternoon Crime Chief Seelall Persaud was unable to comment on the matter.
The allegations of abuse were made against Alli’s mother Stella Jacobs and her younger brothers Carl and Arjune. Stella Jacobs has since denied these allegations and insists that her daughter was properly looked after throughout her illness.
Meanwhile, attorney Gary Ramlochan, who was retained by Stella Jacobs, told this newspaper that the PME revealed that Alli died from breast cancer. When questioned about whether marks of violence were discovered on the body, Ramlochan said he had learnt from the pathologist that Alli had what appeared to be a mark on her back. He further said that the woman’s body was handed over to Stella Jacobs and arrangements are being made for her last rites to be conducted. This was also confirmed by Harding.
Harding further reported that she has since been advised that police are still investigating and the Officer in Charge of the Alberttown Police Station, where the matter was reported, is yet to forward his report to the Commander of Police ‘A’ Division. “I was told that there may be a possibility that police may be able to institute assault charges,” Harding said, “and then the file will be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.”
Harding, who was with Alli during the last days of her life, had said Alli had several marks of violence about the body. The woman had also noted that the two probation officers first visited the Jacobs’ home (located opposite the West Ruimveldt Primary School) on September 8. This was after she (Harding) would have reported the alleged instances of abuse to the ministry. When the social workers arrived at the home, Harding recalled, they first spoke with Stella Jacobs and then proceeded to the room where Alli was being kept. At that point Stella was reluctant to leave the probation officers with her daughter.
During that first visit, Harding said, marks of violence were not evident on Alli’s body. However, when the officers returned two days later the woman had bruises to one arm and a wound to the neck. It was during the second visit that two police officers accompanied the social workers and aided them in removing Alli from the home.
In a statement to the police, a probation officer wrote that they had received repeated reports about Alli being abused in her home. In company of another colleague, the probation officer had visited Alli’s home on September 10. “I did not observe a dark red blotch on her right arm,” the officer wrote, “but noticed that her left arm appeared to be broken, as well as her neck appeared be to broken.”
During a subsequent interview, the officer further wrote, Alli recounted to them instances of abuse she had suffered at the hands of mother and brothers, Carl and Arjune.
