(Trinidad Guardian) Christine Ramdeen, the mother of Junior Soogrim, who drowned with his younger brother Jason, 7, in a pool at an abandoned quarrying site in Valencia last Sunday, says she is now fearful for her life after she has received two death threats during the week.
Speaking to Guardian Media on Friday, Ramdeen said the death threats were made via the phone by a male caller, who was very abusive and used obscene language towards her.
She said had not yet made any reports to the police as she was busy making arrangements for her son’s funeral, which takes place on Saturday along with his younger brother.
“I have lost my only child and am still shocked and am now being traumatised by threats,” Ramdeen said.
The family was hoping to do another autopsy on the boys but Ramdeen said they called it off as they did not have the kind of money needed for the exercise.
Ramdeen said she did not get to see Junior before he left to go to his father’s house on Sunday.
“I did not see my son. He just left without even saying goodbye to me,” Ramdeen said.
She said she also did not spend to much time with her son during his birthday celebration the day before his death as he was occupied with other children who were at their home for his party.
“He had a wonderful time. I asked him if he enjoyed his birthday party and said yes. It was fun. He thanked me, hugged and kissed me and said I appreciate what you had done for me mummy,” she said.
Later on Sunday evening, Ramdeen received a phone call from her sister Sherry telling her Junior had just drowned.
“A few hours he was alive at my home enjoying his birthday party and now he is dead. This will be life’s remembrance for me,” Ramdeen said, adding she still does not believe her son is dead.
Ramdeen also urged the police not to sweep the investigation under the carpet.
According to reports, the boys had gone to their father Martinez Soogrim’s garden on Sunday when they slipped away without his knowledge. The boys walked about a quarter-mile away from the garden to get to the pond.
Soogrim said neighbours later ran to his garden and told him the boys had disappeared under the water. He said he was told the boys had joined neighbours and their children to bathe in the pond, which is 200ft in depth.
Soogrim said relatives and neighbours rushed to the pond where they found relatives of the neighbours whom the boys were with standing on the bank. He said he and his brothers dived into the pond in search of his sons. The boys’ uncle, Jerry, found them at the bottom of the pond on top of one another, with the younger Jason on Junior’s back.
