Vanessa Francis continues to look over her shoulders as police search for her former partner who stabbed her more than a week ago but she is determined to see him behind bars.
The man stabbed Francis at Nabaclis in an attempt to end her life and since then he has been tormenting her. She said that he calls her landline phone often and would make threats. He called recently and identified himself “as the man who is going to kill Vanessa Francis.”
Francis is obviously worried and she is hoping that the police make a breakthrough in the case soon because the torment has been unbearable. Her life has not been the same since she separated from the man in September, last year.
Police have assured Francis that they are looking for her attacker but their searches have come up empty. She has been in touch with the authorities on the East Coast, where the incident happened and they have informed her that the search continues.
Stabroek News spoke with Commander of the East Coast Division Gavin Primo on Monday and he said that the police are “doing what they can” to locate Francis’ attacker. Primo said that while he understands the woman’s concern, the police have no information as to where the man is. Primo said he has been following press coverage of the incident, particularly in Stabroek News, and he was left to ponder what exactly the police were supposed to do with Francis’ reputed husband besides charging him and placing him before the courts, which they did last year. “The police have no authority to hold anyone beyond a stipulated time. After he was arrested this man was placed before the courts and he was granted bail,” he noted.
Primo said that if a magistrate decides to grant an accused bail, as was the case in Francis’ matter, it is out of the police force’s hands. He said that Francis’ reports at the station last year were followed up and charges were filed against her ex-reputed husband.
However, the man went to court and was granted bail. “We’re working to find him,” Primo added.
Francis and her ex-reputed husband are presently before the court in two separate matters; an assault charge and a theft charge. The man had assaulted Francis last year September and also took away her gold jewellery.
Francis told this newspaper yesterday that she would vehemently protest any move to have her attacker released on bail should he be in custody by the next court date. “I’m going to fight against it because of what has happened to me since and he continues to threaten me,” she added.
In a recent letter, Help and Shelter made the point that 2011 has started very badly for women and children in Guyana based on the reported cases of murder, abuse, suicide and allegations of rape. “We are less than two months into a new year and it already seems as though domestic violence, gender-based violence and child abuse are set to continue unabated,” the organisation said.
Help and Shelter referred to Francis’ case and said the police response to reports of domestic violence continues to be largely inadequate and not in keeping with the force’s own policy and procedures on domestic violence. The frequent breaches of the domestic violence policy and procedures result in murder, maiming and other life-threatening injuries, mainly to women like Vanessa Francis, the letter added. “While the police force continues to fall short in fulfilling its responsibilities –we are, for example, still to see the establishment and operation of the promised and much-needed specialized domestic violence and sexual assault units–domestic violence continues to escalate and is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44. The old mantra of lack of resources is simply not acceptable,” Help and Shelter wrote.
