SEERANIE Sheomber, 38, has expressed deep fear for her life, having endured 22 years of abuse at the hands of her common-law husband with whom she has nine children. The woman appeared at the New Amsterdam Court, where she told Magistrate Roby Benn that she has had enough of the assaults.

“Sir, this man does beat me for almost nothing. I live in fear that one day his wish to kill me will be materialised.”

However, Suresh Ramphal, the diminutive husband, told the court that “the problem does come when me gat to tek a cup or bowl an wash am, while she deh in the hammock.  Is 22 years we live together, and me nah kill she then, me go kill she now?”  he queried.

Police Sergeant Phillip Sherriff, prosecuting, revealed that on June 19, last, the defendant returned to their home at Doctor Bush, Albion, where he armed himself with an electric cord, and dealt the complainant several lashes about her body, after he was not pleased with the food.

But his wife explained that she cannot prepare costly dishes when the income is insufficient for basic food items.

“I got to cook according to the money he give me.”

She subsequently told this newspaper that because of her husband’s irresponsible behaviour, her older sons were forced to leave school to assist in providing for the family.
“One of my sons does work a horse (drawn) cart, with he father and whatever money dem get, he (the father) does take half fo drink rum. Is nine children.  Another one does work at the lemonade factory and another does work with the NDC, picking up garbage. But he tell me this morning, he gon lef the wuk, as he na like how de garbage does smell. He ah feel sick. Me married out two to ease the situation at home. The youngest is two years.”

Meanwhile, Sheomber revealed that after the last “licking” from her husband, she went to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where the staff advised her to file a domestic violence charge against her husband.

Opts to go to jail
 
After the charge of assault was read to Suresh Ramphal and he pleaded guilty, he opted to serve the two weeks imprisonment instead of paying the fine of $10,000.

But after the sentence was imposed, the woman expressed further fear as she indicated that after a previous sentence for a similar offence, her husband after being released from prison returned home in a fury. “He  beat me so bad that  me  had to tek me bed for days.”

However, being further advised, she mustered the courage to file a domestic violence charge, which was subsequently served on the defendant. An interim Restraining Order for 14 days was imposed, and Suresh Ramphan is expected to return to court on July 8.

“Sir, me only beat she”

Meanwhile, in another case of domestic abuse, 59-year-old Harry Jagnarine  of Overwinning Village, East Bank Berbice, appeared  before the court and  told the presiding  magistrate,  “Sir, me only beat she, me nah do she nothing wrong.”

The short-statured, grey-haired defendant, who has been married for 41 years , returned home to find that his wife Koomarie  had not finished cooking  his lunch.  He became annoyed and dealt her several slaps about  her face, resulting in injuries.

Jagnarine too opted to serve the sentence of three months imprisonment instead of paying the $20,000 fine.

Over the last six months, there have been an increase in assault cases filed at the Magistrates’ Courts in Berbice, with over 100 cases emanating from within the home, where children and women are the victims.

Surge in Domestic Violence

Commenting on the surge in domestic violence within the society, Social Care Planner Consultant, Paulette Henry, described the prevailing issue as “an epidemic in the society,” which has started in the homes, before  moving  into the schools  and  communities.

“There is generally an entire culture of us condoning violence to some extent,” she related to the Guyana Chronicle when asked to comment and offer solutions for the prevailing scourge.

“We have condoned it through the different forms of punishment, starting from how we discipline a child at home and school. Our harsh, punitive way when we discipline has been a part of the family life. It’s a learned culture.

“For us to address it, we have to work on the terms of our strategies. We have to unlearn that culture. Our children have been socialised that they should be beaten. That we should beat them and punish them whenever they do wrong.  We need to do a retraining at all levels. It has to start in the home, where we as women, who are nurturing our boys and sons, have to retrain them  to deal wih their anger and to deal with situations differently.
“We ourselves do not teach them (the right way) when we beat or   punish them in harsh ways. Sometimes, we women allow the fathers to beat them in harsh ways. So then when they get their families, they do what they were taught. On the other hand, we have the educators, we need a vigorous curriculum that trains our teachers to use alternative care and discipline.”