A Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice woman who tried to put a stop to a man interfering with her in a “suggestive” manner was punched by him and fell unconscious on the road around 6:35 pm on Saturday.
The woman, Chitranie Pitham, 36, called ‘Nado’ had to be rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital where she was treated and sent away. She is still suffering from constant pain and said at first her ear and shoulder were “numb.”
The man, she said, cuffed her on her neck during a confrontation in the presence of her husband, Lakeram Jaikarran and her 16-year-old daughter, Chandanie. She also sustained a bruised shoulder when she fell.
She was lying on the road for about 20 minutes and was “in and out of consciousness.” After she “catch myself my husband lifted me across the road and put me to sit” as she waited on her uncle to pick her up in his vehicle.
A report was also made to the Fort Wellington Hospital. She said the man evaded capture for about two days before finally going to the station.
Charges would be laid soon but the man is denying the allegations and trying to lay the blame on her husband.
“One time he said he just pushed me, then he went back [to the station] and say he never touched me but yet he went to my uncle begging for settlement. I don’t want to settle, I just want him to pay for what he did,” the woman declared.
Pitham said she did not feel comfortable when the man, who is also married, would interfere with her whenever he saw her. “It is so embarrassing that yuh passing with yuh big daughter and he interfering with yuh.”
So when she saw him on the road in front of his home that evening she told him, “You does always trouble me, look me husband here, trouble me now nah!”
He responded “wah me gon do with a…. like you?” and started using derogatory terms at her. There was an exchange of words between both parties and as she turned to walk away he dealt her the punch.
Her husband tried to render assistance while her daughter rebuked the man for hitting her mother when he raised his hand to punch the girl as well.
At this stage Jaikarran who was trying to avoid a fight all along, got angry and the two men started to “scramble.” After that the man ran and locked up in his house.
She said although she never liked his behaviour she “never told him anything. This was the first time and I never expected that it woulda end up like that.”
She is hoping that justice would be served and that women would be able to speak out for their rights without being abused by men.
