Eleven-year-old Chitwrattie Rohan (Fareena) was allegedly choked to death by her 12-year-old relative while engaging in a ‘play fight’ yesterday morning at her grandfather’s Martyrs’ Ville home on the East Coast of Demerara.
According to relatives the 12-year-old is assisting with the investigation. The children’s grandfather told Stabroek News yesterday that he was out when the incident occurred, however, when he returned home, he saw Rohan lying on the ground. He asked what had happened and relatives said that the two cousins, “play fight, not really a serious fight.” They added that a family member tried to get them to stop at which point she fell and was unresponsive. The grandfather then performed Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation on her. He then placed her in his car, and accompanied by other relatives, took her to a private hospital but it was closed so he ended up taking her to the Beterverwagting Health Centre where she later died.
Meanwhile, Rohan’s mother, Farida Alli, of Martyrs’ Ville Squatting area, related to the Stabroek News that she didn’t know exactly what happened because her daughter lives with her grandfather and would visit her in the mornings. However, sometime after 10 am, her son came running to her, saying that his relative and his sister ‘play fight’ and his sister died.
She recalled that when she heard this, she hesitated a bit because she thought it was a joke at first since the two relatives would normally make rough jokes. In order to clear the air, she asked her son again if it was the truth to which he confirmed the news to her once again. When she arrived at the home where the incident occurred which is located a couple houses away, she saw the grandmother, grandfather and the uncle at the home and saw her daughter was lying on the ground.
Alli noted that the last time she saw her daughter alive was around 10 am yesterday when she visited her. She said the relative would normally visit the grandfather and the two would play.
According to the woman, from what she understands, “the boy took a coconut and placed it on her [daughter’s] face and hold on unto her daughter and pulled her hair and choked her.” She disclosed that the doctor informed her that her child died from her being strangled. She added that the 12-year-old boy is currently in custody assisting with the investigation so investigators can understand exactly what happened.
The mother of two is left to mourn her elder daughter who had recently written the NGSA examination and was all set to attend Beterverwagting Secondary School. (Subhana Shiwmangal)
