A Berbice mother of 14 was yesterday charged with willfully neglecting three of her daughters, who were found loitering on the seawall early last Thursday morning.
The 45-year-old woman appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore at the Sisters Magistrate’s Court, where she pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of causing harm to her children, ages five, seven and ten and willfully contributing to them being in need of protective intervention.
When found, the girls had told welfare officers that they were ordered out of their home by their stepfather last Wednesday night. They were subsequently hospitalised, which led to the discovery that they had been sexually assaulted.
When asked what work she does, the mother told the magistrate that she is a domestic worker. “I does wash things and so for people,” she said. As the woman stood barefoot in the court, Police Prosecutor Inspector Phillip Sheriff opposed bail.
However, Magistrate Moore said that there was not sufficient grounds and placed the woman on $50,000 bail on each count, resulting in her total bail being $150,000. She is to return to court on August 16.
Meanwhile, the children’s stepfather, who is suspected to have sexually assaulted them, is still in police custody as the investigation continues into the assaults.
