Vanessa Francis left her reputed husband five months ago but he has been stalking her and yesterday he attempted to kill her, dealing her several stab wounds about the body before fleeing.
Francis of Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara had just entered a taxi when the man confronted her. He tried to drag her from the front seat of the car while stabbing her continuously, but she fought with him until she got tired. She sustained injuries to her upper body, legs and arms, but was in a stable condition last night at a city hospital.
The man ran and left Francis lying in the taxi after her screaming stopped; he has since gone into hiding. The taxi driver, who was in the car at the time of the incident, apparently froze and initially sat in the car while Francis was being attacked. He then got out and attempted to retrieve a weapon from his trunk when the man fled.
Relatives at the hospital last night expressed outrage that Francis’ reputed husband has been allowed to roam free despite numerous police reports. The couple was recently in court and the man was granted $10,000 bail. He has two matters in the court after Francis reported that he had assaulted her and stolen her jewellery.
The couple’s daughter, who identified herself as Kaiesha, told Stabroek News last night that her mother has been “going through hell” since the separation. She said that her father has been stalking her mother “every day” and that sometimes, he would camp out on the roof of their home at nights.
Francis spoke with this newspaper briefly last night saying that her life has not been the same since the separation. She said he has threatened to kill her on numerous occasions and also broke into her home recently. “This man calls my home phone all the time and he keeps saying how domestic violence ain’t got plenty years and how it on the rise and I better take heed…he call me Sunday and ask me to read the papers and see what happen to the woman on Norton Street (Nathalie Loncke) who was killed in a domestic dispute”, Francis recounted.
Francis said that she called her lawyer immediately to report what happened and she also contacted the police. She said a check at the Cove and John police station would reveal the countless reports she has on file for him, but that he continues to walk free.
At this point, a relative interjected to say that the system is still not offering women like Francis the protection they are looking for. “She went all over to complain about this man, not just the police and still he is able to creep up on her roof at nights”, the relative said.
On a few occasions Francis has had to ask police officers to accompany her to and from home because the man is often lurking around. In December last year the man threatened Francis with a cutlass and was later held by police. Police on the East Coast were reportedly looking for the man after the incident was reported.
