(Trinidad Guardian) The community of Ste Madeleine was in shock yesterday after the body of an eight-year-old boy was found hanging from his bedroom window. Dimario Ragoonanan was pronounced dead at the San Fernando General Hospital after relatives’ attempts to revive him.
Police are treating the death of the Standard One pupil of the St Clement Vedic School in St Clement as a murder. Earlier on, police were trying to determine whether it was a suicide or homicide. However, an autopsy conducted by pathologist Dr Hughvon des Vignes at the Forensic Science Centre said the child’s death was a possible homicide.
Des Vignes’ report confirmed that Dimario died from ligature strangulation (strangulation without suspension, using a cord). Police have since detained a female relative who was taken for psychiatric evaluation at the hospital. It was reported that after the child died, the woman tried to hang herself but failed when the rope she used burst.
Senior police officers said the incident occurred around 1 am in the front bedroom of Dimario’s home on Fourth Street where he and the female relative slept. Family members were awakened by loud screams and when they entered the room found the child hanging from a window by a piece of curtain tied around his neck.
A team of Southern Homicide Division detectives including Supt Maynard, Sgt Rampersad, Insp Noel and Cpl Beharry conducted preliminary investigations. Traumatised by the ordeal, Dimario’s uncle Jason Harper struggled to speak with reporters as he tried to hold back his tears.
He said he heard screams coming from the boy’s room and rushed to see what was happening. “She was bawling that someone was coming to kill her while I was trying to get the door open and she did not want to open it. She told me I was coming to kill her. I told her, ‘No, I would not kill you, all I want is to know what is going on with you.’ I forced my way inside and my sister ran in before me.
“I saw her trying to revive the child but I just thought he was just unconscious.” He said the last time he saw his nephew was on Sunday night and everything was well with him.
