A 17-year-old girl was yesterday morning stabbed several times by her ex-boyfriend and is now in a critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The stabbing of Vanessa Atteca Collins was the culmination of several attempts on her life by a Haslington, East Coast Demerara (ECD) resident known as `Boysie’.
Reports are that Collins was just about to leave a ‘back to school’ party in Victoria, ECD, when she was attacked by the man who pursued her as she attempted to flee and stabbed her several times and left her lying in a trench. Stabroek News understands that the man, said to be a pork knocker, has since gone into hiding after informing his relatives of his actions.
Officials at the hospital said the young woman was in a critical condition and up to last night her breathing was being aided by an oxygen mask.
‘Hide me’
According to a friend of the young woman, who was with her at the time of the incident, they had attended the party in Victoria and were proceeding to another friend’s house in the village to sleep as it was too late to return to Anns Grove.
She said they stopped at the bus that took them to the party and were talking to some of the occupants when the young man attacked.
“All I hear she say is ‘hide me, hide me’ and I went and stand up in front she and he come and tell me to move from in front of he before I get trouble,” the young woman said. She said she refused to move and the young man grabbed her and pushed her out of his path by which time she saw him going to his waist.
“I thought was a gun he going for but I didn’t see he tek out anything and then he went and grab she and I thought is cuffing he cuffing she in she belly but I didn’t know is stab he stabbing she,” the young woman said. On realising that her friend was under a knife attack she said she told her to run.
“I tell she run Teca run and she start to run but he run behind she and deh two of them end up in a trench and he stab she some more. I run and tell some boys and they went to help and he run away and I catch a taxi and bring she to the hospital,” the friend said.
Three of Vanessa’s younger siblings yesterday told Stabroek News that it was not the first time the young man had attacked their sister. An older sister, Amanda, said while she has heard of the attacks she has never seen the young man.
According to a younger brother, one night the young man called his sister on the phone and told her to meet him at the corner to receive a mattress.
“But is kill he din wan kill she is nah no mattress he had,” the boy said. He said when his sister refused to leave the house the young man proceeded to their home and broke a window and climbed into the house.
Vanessa Atteca Collins
“He come in and he had a long ice pick in he hand and me cousin went hay and she went and tell he ‘no man Boysie you can’t do me cousin dah’ but he push me cousin away and still went to me sister,” he said.
The young man then allegedly forced Vanessa out of the house even though she was half dressed. “He put deh ice pick to she neck and carry she away pun he bicycle … but he loose she and she come back home,” the boy said.
He also spoke of another time when his sister was snatched off the street in Anns Grove and taken away by the young man on his bicycle.
And while his cousin reported the incident when the young man broke into their home he said his sister never reported it.
‘No fixed place
of abode’
When Stabroek News visited the young woman’s mother at Anns Grove, ECD, the woman, Annette Sam, said that her daughter “had no fixed place of abode” as she had moved out from her home.
“You see when you don’t hear you does feel and dah is wah happen here,” the distressed woman said yesterday morning as she paced up and down in her yard.
“Right now I can’t go to the hospital, I can’t tek it right now because like me pressure high and me head ent deh on good on me body,” the woman lamented.
The woman, who said she had ten children but only eight are alive, said she worked hard to try to provide for her children but her efforts were never good enough for her daughter. The child’s father works in the interior and according to the mother he had spoken to her on several occasions but she was being influenced by others and did not take his advice.
“You see me I does kill cow and I does weed the streets, I does work hard and I provide food for my children, I give them good and I still use to work and give she two hundred dollars to go to school and a day she tell me dat money ent enough and I ask she wah she want me to do,” the woman said. She said her daughter later moved out of her home and she would hear about her from time to time as she kept moving from place to place.
“Is like wherever night catch she is deh where she sleep, she gat clothes all over and every tinning cup dat knock she deh. If this didn’t happen to she, she would be at Jamzone…”
The last time she saw her daughter was last week Thursday when she went to visit a relative from overseas “and ah ask she, girl is wah really you want in this life and she just look at me and smile and walk away.” Prior to last week Thursday she could not recall the last time she saw her daughter.
“I use to tell her ‘Girl dem lil boy on the road ent have nothing to give you’ but is like she always want something else and now look wah happen…”
Sam said if she sees the young man who stabbed her daughter she would not recognise him as she does not know him that well but she says she knows he would sometimes attack her daughter because she was told this by her other children.
“It is not two cent I went through with this child and I does work hard right now I can’t take it more,” the woman said. She said at one time she was so frustrated after her daughter got into a “police story” that she wanted to send her to the New Opportunity Corps but her siblings intervened and one of them signed for her at the station and promised to be her guardian.
in the article about there is no mentioned of the accused age
Her wild way of living and disrespect towards her mother while distasteful does not justify the attack upon her person. I hope she learns from this episode and cleans up her act. At seventeen, she’s still immature and needs counseling. I hope she recovers and her attacker is caught and brought to justice, but the prognosis for a responsible adulthood is not evident in light of her mother’s description of her life so far.
so wath she is 17 does it give the rite or anyone to stab her? 17 does not mean you cannot go plces and have fun.
That she is a troubles child, there is no doubt, and since we don’t know the whole story, we are not in a position to judge her. This man is a dangerous person. He has intent to kill her and he should not have been allowed to be free after all the attempts he has made on Vanessa’s life.
As a mother of a 13 year old daughter myself, I feel that mommy may need to take a good look at the woman in the mirror. She teaches by example, and so far we’ve heard of mommy’s work ethics only. What has her example of love and life has taught Vanessa. Enough said on that.
This child has been seriously stabbed if her friend thought that she was being “cuffed”. The stab wounds may be deep and therefore severe. Meanwhile, it is troubling to me that mommy has not reached the hospital yet.Why has this suddenly become about her, her “head” and god I am so upset by her reaction…
We mothers are supposed to love unconditionally, and we prove our love by never giving up, by keep trying, persevering, no matter how difficult the task for us may be.
Did those who were supposed to love her the most, give up on Vanessa? That would be tragic and I am really curious to know what example has Venessa been taught by.
There! Coming from a woman. That is my honest and heartfelt prosective on this one. Something just ain’t right…
This is a troubled teenager, who in my opinion needs extensive counseling. She is lost. I hope she recover from this.
Goldie I do not totally agree with you,this teenager can be troubled or frustrated but she has totally no self-respect nor does she have any respect for her poor hardworking mother.She has a very low mentality and no sekf-esteem.
I am not throwing stones because I am a mother of three.Through my regional work,volentary comunity work and my children I happen to have lots of contacts where I learn a lot.
Only this morning some one needed to talk and she called,you should hear her problems with her only child who she also worked very hard to maintain.there are also children in my neighbourhood (friends of my children) with single mothers who give them everything that they want and still one of them (wears Heugo Boss shoes) is in and out of prison while his mother springs from one cleaning job to the other and goes to church. THESE WAYWARD CHILDREN WANTS SOME GOOD CUT-ASS AND STARVATION.I pray to god that she learns her lesson and value her poor mother. I have spoiled my children ROTTEN but they darn well know how far to go,especially now that they are young adults.
Parents have to bond with their children from a very young age and get involved in their lives.Parents also have to let the children know who is the BOSS and where the boundry ends.Some children needs consistancy and others need flexibality.
see what jealous can be at time. i am sure that her ex-boyfriend felt sorry for what he have done . cant turn back ..i hope that the girl will recover soon . .
linda, you’re ’sure’ that he felt ’sorry’ for what he has done?
Why, BECAUSE you have a speed-dial line to him or because you have that personal connection to God or that you are an abeah woman or a female shaman or witch-doctor????!!!!
And if he does indeed feel sorry “for what he has done”, would that magically absolve him of attempted murder that could very well be turned into murder–depending on if she surives or not…
Are you really comfortable in this train of thought and if so, why?
COULD FEEL THIS MOTHER’S PAIN FROM WHAT HER DAUGHTER PUT HER THROUGH.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LET GO AND LET EM LEARN THE HARSH REALIATIES OF LIFE.
SEEN MANY LIKE THIS KID BEFORE:
Evil We all love our children with their faults but there comes a time when you are forced to apply HARSH LOVE.
I hope she survives this, and comes out a better person.
On the other hand, I am sick and tired of reading about these abuses that are never reported to the police…………….. what will it take for there to be a change in attitude eh??
These are two troubled young people. She can’t stay home and he can’t keep his hands to himself. They need help. I hope she has a speedy recovery and get her life together with some counseling. What happen to the occupants in the bus? The article said that they were talking to the occupants in the bus when he attacked. Did anyone try to assist her other than her friend?
Hope she recovers well to regret the crappy lifestyles she’s living.
As the old saying goes ” Is how u mek u bed , is so u gon sleep on it .”
She is 17 years old and is the daughter of a woman with 10 children while only 8 are alive. Okay. I am a mother and I have some questions to ask of Vanessa’s mother.
What moral examples have you been showing Vanessa mommy?
Would you care to perhaps at least accept that having to bring up 8 children on your own, had definetly taken away the quality teaching and learning moments you could have spent with each of them?
Could you perhaps had limited the amount of children that you bore so that you may have time to bring up less than eight in a better environment, work less and have more time for them, way 4 intead of 8?
And sorry but let’s say it out loud, mommy, get your butt to the hospital and be there for your child. She may not survive this. This is not about you, it was never about you, blood pressure, headache and all, stop trolling for sympathy and for heaven’s sake please stop the whinning and the self pity.
For once, give your child the attention that she may have been craving from you, that she was entitled to get from you since she never asked you to bring her into this world as one among 10.
I’m not going to let you go on this one, Mommy. Nope! Some people are going to hold you accountable, and do you know why? BECAUSE YOU ARE VANESSA’S MOTHER FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!
first of all the the mother make too much children for this day and age when things are hard and i sure when the mother was her age she may had about three of them already that girl needs loving counseling and a good caring people these days just making children and think the little two dollars is enough to satisfy them in this busy world but i am sorry to tell them it takes more than two dollars first of all they must have lot of love or else the cycle will go on meaning she will make more children than the mother parents take up your responsibility and if you cannot mind them do no make them you see how hard the mother has to work and aint have time to show love because she busy trying to make the two little dollars to mind them so every one that making a set of children out there in this day and age just watch it
who are you to say that she has too many children, are you god? it is god who provide not us maybe she has those children for her husband and he walked out leaving her a single parent.
Paulette i do not agree with some of what you hadto say. No matter how many children her mother have she should be contented and thank god for the little that he gave unto her, some people don’t have a quarter of that and the stay at home and abide. She is seventeen years old the last thing on her mind should be the wild life she wants to live, so should be trying to futher her education and helping her mothr out with the younger children. The mother mentioned every tinin cup knock she wants to be there life is not about that, but i wish her a speady recovery and hope she learn from this and pull her life together.
no need to be self-righteous and be passing out condenmation on the mother. There are more than meets the eye here, try to walk in a person’s shore before you try past judgements. Watch it Paulette
Anassa, your question need a real good doze of some reality checks.
Planned Parenhood is more than a modern day concept, and certainly we need not bother God if we can do it all by ourselves since we never bothered him while getting the babies…you know, when things felt too good to complain.
As far as getting kids, don’t hang your hats further than our hands can reach and then maybe you can be a better mother to less children.
Paulette Thomas, you are right. Great post!
Paulette, just to clarify, she said $200 not $2. Either way, even though your comments are a bit hard, I agree with some of what you said. Having 10 kids in this day and age is ridiculous. Like you said she doesn’t have the time to spend with them.
Annette is my relative and she’s always been a hard worker. It’s unfortunate that she has this many kids and have to take care of them by herself.
Annette’s mom had 18 kids and most of Annette’s sisters have at least 5 kids each. Some even have 10+.
It’s difficult when you’re taken out of school at a young age to stay home and take care of your younger siblings because your mom keeps having kids. I’m not saying Annette’s not responsible for her life choices, but please understand her background. I know she’s not unique in this situation.
I know Guyana isn’t the richest country in the world, but I will never be convinced that birth control information is not available to the population especially the women.
Having said all this, Vanessa did not deserve to be attacked in such a brutal manner. What’s happening in Guyana when men (young and old) think they can get away with injuring or murdering their women?
I hope they find the fool and lock him up. I would hope that his relatives convince him to turn himself into the police. That would be more manly behavior than stabbing your ex-girlfriend and leaving her to die.
Well having 10 children with no garanteed way of providing for them is a perfect recipe for desaster. No proper parental/adult guidance is begging for trouble.
How come no one did anything about these alledged attacks by this young man? This is just crazy.