Director of Prisons Dale Erskine yesterday denied reports that the man who allegedly hacked his three children to death was assaulted a second time on Saturday.
According to Erskine, after John Blanchard would have received treatment from the Georgetown Public Hospital following the beating he received from other inmates, “he was taken straight to the infirmary.” Reports in other sections of the media suggested that the man had been attacked a second time.
When asked whether it was not mandatory for Blanchard to be placed in seclusion given the type of crime for which he has been charged, Erskine explained that the officer in charge of placement would usually determine where a new inmate is placed. He noted also that there have been child molesters and other such criminals entering the prisons, who were not beaten by fellow inmates, so “I don’t know why they did what they did.”
Blanchard, 30, allegedly attacked his three children last Tuesday night at their Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara home, resulting in the deaths of his stepdaughter Belica George, 11, and his son Daniel Blanchard, 3. His other daughter, Joy Blanchard, 6, survived the attack and was placed in Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she succumbed early Saturday morning.
Blanchard was on Friday charged with the murders of the first two victims to succumb, and is to face a third murder charge after the death of his daughter.
