Olivia De Freitas, the 23-year-old woman who recently succumbed over a month after she was set on fire, was constantly threatened and had parted ways with her alleged attacker just days before, according to her family.
The family also believes De Freitas’ life could have been saved if the police had acted promptly on reports of previous threats to her life that were made.
Ryan Perreira, the dead woman’s stepfather, said that he tried his best to protect her but the situation was beyond his control.
“Law and protection. The woman needed protection… I try to save her… but I couldn’t have mek it,” the distraught father said.
De Freitas was allegedly set on fire by her partner, Wazim Perreira, called “Johnny,” on September 9th during a disagreement at their Lot 113 North Sophia home.
The couple shared two minor children.
She suffered second degree burns about her body, including to her face, abdomen, chest and back as a result of the attack.
She was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), where she was admitted in a critical condition. She succumbed on October 10th and was laid to rest last Friday.
An autopsy last Wednesday found that she died as a result of septic burns.
Police had said that Wazim visited De Freitas’ home and requested to speak to her but she refused.
As a result, he left the premises and subsequently returned with a container containing gasoline, which he allegedly threw on her before setting her on fire.
She then tried escaping but the woman’s screams alerted the neighbours, who apprehended him.
However, family members yesterday told Sunday Stabroek that the attack was premeditated and was as a result of a relationship De Freitas had with one of Wazim’s relatives.
They also said that it was not the first occasion where Wazim had allegedly threatened to kill De Freitas.
Days after the incident, Wazim was charged with attempt murder and was remanded to prison.
He is likely to be charged with the capital offence of murder soon.
The man is known to the police.
In August last year, he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after he admitted to escaping from the Kitty Police Station while in custody for larceny of cattle.
In 2017, he was charged for assaulting his brother.
Threats from prison
Wazim, the family said, had issued threats to De Freitas while he was previously incarcerated. “He threaten her from jail that he going to kill her… they had some serious domestic problems,” Ryan told Sunday Stabroek.
They also said there was attack on September 6th, just days prior to the woman being burned, and she managed to escape. “He run she with a knife and he run she straight by she grandmother and when he run in there… he did firing some bore with the knife,” Ryan said.
The dead woman’s grandmother, Seewatie Persaud, told Sunday Stabroek that she attempted to talk the man away but he allegedly fired a stab at her also.
“…He put up a fight with she (De Freitas) and he start beating she. After he start beating she, he start run for a pot spoon and he choke she neck till she tongue come out. Then next thing I see, he run for a knife and since he run for the knife, I run behind and I go and me granddaughter run under meh son bed. I don’t know how she get under the bed but he jump and he jump pun the bed and he break the bed down and he deh all out fah get she out and she ain’t coming out. So I seh ‘Johnny wah you doing in hay? You know yuh gone get wrong fah coming in this house hay? You ain’t supposed to be in hay and he turn round and he cut me,” Persaud explained.
She said Wazim’s father arrived and took him away. Persaud said he was not seen for days but eventually returned when he allegedly launched the fatal attack.
Ryan told this newspaper that he is most hurt about what transpired since he was present when De Freitas was set on fire.
Ryan related that prior to the attack, De Freitas was sitting at a window of the house and Wazim was talking to her from outside the yard, which is close to the fence. He said the man had a beer bottle in his hand, which contained the gasoline.
Ryan said that he and two employees were busy working in the yard. He noted that while the two employees were in the backyard, he went to dispose of garbage when the suspect made his way into the yard.
“…So he (suspect) was peeping….I didn’t see when he come in. When I come from the garbage bin, then I saw the fire was in the building. So the fire was on the building and up top ah she,” he said.
Another relative of the dead woman, who witnessed the fatal attack, said Wazim had been armed with a knife. Nevertheless, De Freitas indicated to him that she did not need him anymore since he was being frequently incarcerated, while not supporting her or their children. The man, after threatening the woman’s relative, then allegedly emptied the beer bottle on her and set her alight.
He then reportedly calmly walked out the yard.
“She hustle fah run to each one ah the blind, she roll all pun the ground and nothing,” the woman said.
De Freitas subsequently started to scream, which raised an alarm and caused residents to chase after the suspect.
Relatives said they reported the September 6th attack to the police, who reportedly only turned up after De Freitas was set alight. “This is why I keep saying the police ’cause this… they come the same time when we caught the fella,” Ryan said.
