Manickchand: Police should not have released suspect
One week after she was said to have been battered by a man close to her to the point that a tooth was knocked out and her skull fractured, a woman in her early 30’s says that she cannot recall what happened to her.
Hemwattie Louchand in hospital
The woman, Hemwattie Louchand also known as ‘Lisa’, was a pitiful sight as she lay in a ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital yesterday with her face black and blue and a front tooth missing. When asked about her injuries she said, “I not lying I can’t remember what happen, I don’t mean to give you a hard time, I can’t remember”.
Friends contacted the police and they arrived at the home where the beating occurred and found the battered woman in an unconscious state and took her to the hospital but not before they had arrested the man and taken him to the Providence Police Station.
Since then the woman was reportedly slipping in and out of consciousness. And while she was in this state her alleged abuser was released the day after he was arrested and placed on $20,000 bail. He then made visits to her at the hospital and another report was made to the police and he was rearrested but soon released again.
Since then he has been visiting the institution in the mornings.
As Stabroek News was at the woman’s bedside a female police officer approached with the aim of taking a statement from her but she stated that she could not recall what had happened and so there was nothing she could tell the officer.
It has been argued that this is the situation that police officers around the country are facing even as the public lambastes them for not taking reports of domestic violence seriously.
Tantamount
However, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand had another take on the issue when she was contacted by this newspaper yesterday. The minister, who has been approached by concerned relatives and friends of the woman, pointed out that had the police kept the suspect in custody following the attack he would not have been able to approach the victim while she was in hospital. She feels that whatever the man may have told the victim during his visits caused the woman to state she could not recall what had happened to her.
The minister pointed out that the woman suffered some serious injuries, including a fractured skull and she feels that the attack was tantamount to attempted murder. She noted that just as in an accident the police may hold a driver of a vehicle until they are sure the person was going to live they could have done the same thing in this instance.
There have been many cases where the police would arrest someone based on eyewitness evidence and even charge the person without a statement from the injured person and later apply to the magistrate for bail to be refused until they were certain that the injured person would live. The minister said that the same approach could have been applied in this case as the woman was slipping in and out of consciousness and so the man should have been held or charged. “He probably went to her and apologised and now she cannot remember what has happened,” the minister told Stabroek News.
Manickchand said she is “horrified” at the extent of the woman’s injuries while adding that it is even more “horrifying” that the police released the man on $20,000 bail. She noted that the fact that the woman now doesn’t want to talk could also be as a result of a lack of confidence in the system, adding that all agencies, not only her ministry, need to come together and work on the issue of domestic violence.
She said she understands the problem the lawmen and women face especially in cases where the women don’t want the matter to go before the court but at least in this instance the police should have kept the man in custody to prevent him from approaching the woman.
Stabroek News understands that while there may have been witnesses to the attack the police would still need a statement from the woman to proceed with the matter.
The man, according to reports, “lift up the woman and lash her down about two times” after he had pummelled her face with his fist and then he left her lying on the ground bleeding in an unconscious state. She has been abused constantly but it is not clear if she has ever made a report to the police.
Of course she knows what happened, its just that she is in love with the man and if she reports it then he will be in trouble.This will force her to find a new place of abode where in her case may be hard.If she remembers her name and where she is living then she must remember how it occured.
Are you a doctor now?
this is so correct what you said i have no empathy for women who tell themselves they are vulnerable because their so called man is the “sole breadwinner” a lot more women will suffer from convenient amnesia making police jobs hard and as for the rest of comments i totally disagree blame mrs convenient amnesia
For you to imply that she is in love that is why she has an automatic memory loss is really foolish,had the police not made this man bail could have had a different out come to her willingness to remember what transpired. you at least from the attire should have some knowledge of what policing is all about, I think the minister has made some factual and sensible statements as it relates to the police bailing this man, the first thing on his agenda would be to tamper with the witness which he was successful at doing, this poor woman even if she is willing to speak out may feel she is more protected not saying anything as supposed to divulging what transpired knowing that it could have dire consequences for her. Remember the persons that should be protecting her are the same persons that actually give this man bail knowing that this woman was beat the hell out he was re arrested and was set free this shows you clearly that the decision that this victim took dispite not being the best one,may have been the only thing rational at this point to save her.
I am in total agreement with you sandhurst first. I have a neighbour who had this same problem and what u have said all relates to her situation. I love reading your blogs on this site and as a matter of fact this is the only reason i read the comments section everyday. Please keek the good work up my friend. God Bless.
I wish there was “pro charging” in Guyana. That way if there is evidence of abuse the abuser will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
A few months ago there was a big issue where a guy beat his “fully pregnant” spouse to a pulp and she refused to testify against him so she was thrown in jail until she was ready testify. She was subpoena. He will be prosecuted to the full extent but with her testimony he will get a longer sentence.
I agree with you…she remembers but is probably too traumatised to speak!
It just breaks my heart. Surely, this is an epidemic. I pray that “Lisa” gets a full and speedy recovery.
this is a very serious case , why did the police let the man go , what is police should do , they don’t . thank you
I am seething with rage..I feel as if I know the victim,why don’t her relatives hold him and give him a good “banking”,he must not be able to walk when they finish with him..”bus e *ss” and then you will get attention from the police.
……u all like to bank people……..check the real problem……poor education……vat on the attack……….and minister can’t function……real hard times in guyana……abee government!!…….abee de pan tap…..the government is a good government…….respect the empty cup….nothing is given to the women who would still vote ppp…….
Come on Evileyes this is not like you. You are supposed to be neutral and objective.
Dont disappoint me.
I have been saying for sometime now that the law should be change to reflect the facts that if there is witness to a crime and the victim[s] refuse[s] to give evidence the charge should be still given .useing as evidence the statement of the witness
Too many people are suffering from abuse and it is about time the law maker in guyana rise above this situation to protect the vunerable .
those abusers if not stop,punished,helped, will continue to abuse not only their partners but children .
I agree with you Sydney……….there is no need to get a statement from her since the evidence is visible on her body……a law should be passed to this effect since more and more women are being beaten and are forced to stay in the bad relationship for fear of their partner
You are correct where the law is concerned.
The problem with most women in Guyana is that they are not independent. They rely on men for almost everything – they can’t survive without a man, so it is difficult to confront the abusive husband.
Oh, she is so forgiving. This man is just pretending to be nice so as to have this case dropped. Women need to be trained to be independent, and this has a lot to do with the level of poverty in Guyana and educating of girls.
Rum and rum shop culture is also contributing to the ills of the Guyanese society, thanks to DDL and DIH.
Leo Rojo
As far as i am concerned you have hit the nail on the head Sydney.
It’s quite foolish that in this day and age the police mush have a statement from this woman before they could proceed with charges, notwithstanding they apparently have eye witnesses.
Do we also have to nudge the authorities into being proactive and amend the lay given this obvious loop-hole?
If these men know that, statement or not, their asses will be hauled over the coals whenever they abuse women like this, there will be an immediate reduction in these types of crimes.
Until then there will be the usual finger pointing where blame is shifted from police to magistrate, to “uncooperative victim”, to ministers etc.
It is possible that she cannot remember anything that happen, constant beatings especially in the head can cause memory loss. Remember she was found uncounscious, this man should have been in jail. I guess they waiting for him to kill her.
If she had died would witnesses be enough? What if she truely lost her memory
of the incident,are you telling me that the law would be handicap?
It’s not the law that’s handicapped my friend, instead it’s those responsible for amending and administrating the law….lol
oh man…how can a human being do something like this to a woman..real advantage..I do not like to hear and see these things..if she was related to me i will have already faced the law for him..he would have received the same treatment but double what he shared..shame on him..when is time to face men who are equally ignorant like them they ball and run.
Now i hope that is really true because of her injuries ,i really do because have she seen all the women that has been killed by there abuser ,this is the kind of stupid stuff i cannot understand ,someone needs to really talk to her at the hopital
According to eye witness this man litterally lifted this woman up bodily and slammed her down twice and the Police let him go by recieving a $20.000 bail.
There is no repsect for life in Guyana (Woman Man Child , Cat or Dog )
Here in New York if you even look too hard at a Woman you can be charge .
And the Police has allowed this man to get away with a simple slap on the risk .
tha bail too lil bit. how much was the “officer bail”?
Rev –do you know Sparrows song —-”black up thier eyes and bruise up their knees and they will Love you eternally ” . watch yourself Rev –if you look too hard on a woman –you commit adultery in your heart .