Social Protection Minister condemns brutal murder of 68-year-old shopkeeper
– 13 females slain for year
Noting that there has been a spate of senseless murders particularly of women recently, the Ministry of Social Protection yesterday condemned the brutal killing of an elderly woman who was found bound and gagged at her Riverview, Mahaica home.
Early Saturday morning, 68-year-old Chandroutie Persaud was discovered laying face down on her bed with her hands tied behind her back and her mouth gagged.
The elderly woman operates a small shop at her Riverview Squatting area residence and shares the two-bedroom house with her husband. He heard nothing, however, only learning of her death when the woman’s daughter who resides a few corners away, came over to check on her.
The Ministry, by way of release, said “In recent times, there has been a spate of mindless murders particularly of our women folk in spite of efforts made to address and eliminate this scourge.”
Recently appointed Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence views this situation “as deplorable and commits the efforts of the Ministry to combat this wave of heinous crimes and to protect the rights of this vulnerable resource of our society.”
Reports are that Basdeo’s murder is the work of a person from the said area, who had robbery as a motive since it was discovered that about $800,000 in cash was missing from the woman’s ransacked bedroom.
Police estimate that Basdeo was killed around midnight on Friday, during a shower of rain. The dead woman’s daughter said that her father recalled hearing the sounds from the television in the house and assumed that his wife was watching TV.
However, other relatives believe that it was Basdeo’s killer or killers who turned on the television to drown out any sound that the woman might make.
At least 13 women have been slain for the year.
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