Recovering from a vicious attack by her partner of five years, 18-year-old Filisha Nauth says she has learnt from her mistakes and is ready to pick up the pieces of her life; she wants to continue her education and get a job so as to provide basic necessities for herself and her 20-month-old baby.
This young mother was viciously stabbed earlier this month by her husband of two years, Govinda Sookdeo, after an argument at their Lot 655 New Scheme, Haslington, East Coast Demerara home.
The argument stemmed from the young woman visiting her mother on her birthday.
The teen spent a week in the Georgetown Public Hospital nursing a single stab wound to her left hip. “After that incident I decided to leave him because it wasn’t the first time, it was the second,” she said.
She had previously explained that on the first occasion, in January of this year, the matter was reported and carried to court where the couple was placed on a bond to keep the peace. However, this was not the case.
After the second instance this month, Filisha said, the parents of her ex approached her to have the matter settled. “They offer me $100,000 so that I won’t make any police report and further the matter. But I want him to face the consequences for his action,” the young woman firmly stated.
Her mother, Radha, is also strongly against her daughter reconnecting with her abuser since she fears that the man’s attacks will eventually become more severe. She feels she may lose her daughter if she continues to stay in such a relationship, “I just don’t think it’s right,” she added.
Filisha indicated that since her discharge from the hospital, she has visited the Cove and John Police Station three times and is still awaiting the man’s arrest. She explained that the report has already been given but she is required to sign a document before any arrest can be made. However, police at that station are always preoccupied when she visits, Filisha said.
Meanwhile, the injury she sustained is having serious effects on her life as she is now completely dependent on her mother and brother for support of herself as well as her daughter.
Because of the wound, Filisha cannot lift anything weighty and as such cannot properly care for her child and comfort her as a mother should.
Also, the teenage mother constantly complains of belly pains which sometimes make her helpless. Now, she is unable to better her situation since she is forced to remain unemployed.
Filisha’s mother, too, is struggling to maintain her family and says she is a victim of circumstances. Not only does she have to care for Filisha and her baby but a second daughter as well,whose husband died and who also has a baby.
The woman said she is thankful to have her son living with her since he contributes to the household and towards the maintenance of the children, including his baby. “My son is a mason and I’m a domestic. Good thing I have him because is only one and two-day work I does get,” the woman related.
Sookdeo, who was said to be employed as a joiner, hardly provides anything for the child.
During her interview with Stabroek News, Filisha also reflected on the relationship she had shared with the man and said he was not always an abusive individual. “Is after we daughter born he get like this. Every time he drink he is behave like that,” she said.
She said she had run away from home two years ago to stay with the man at his home.
In search of her daughter, Radha went to the then 5th form student’s school, Cum-mingslodge Secondary, where she was told that the teen was once observed speaking to the said individual, who frequently visited the school along with other touts.
Her mother told this newspaper that after receiving this information, she was prompted to visit the individual’s home where she met the man’s mother. Radha said the woman told her that her daughter was not at her house. “Is when I went to the police station and they threaten the mother then this girl [Filisha] call me and come back home,” the mother said.
Filisha admitted that she had made a bad decision in running away as it caused her to be at a disadvantage since she was unable to sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams.
Nowadays, Filisha is looking to a brighter future and says she is adamant about not working things out with her ex. Instead, her focus is on continuing her studies, with the first step being to write the CSEC examination.
She said she was a student in the business stream and hopes to soon pursue a career in that field.
However, the family cannot afford Filisha this opportunity at this point in time and as such, she is willing to seek employment but her mother fears that may be a problem, considering the girl’s physical condition.
Her mother indicated that she plans to take her daughter to visit Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand to address their situation. “I’m hoping for assistance for her and the child and also for advice on what to do about the police and what can be done about this boy and his arrest,” Radha said.
