Examining views on domestic violence

 

CHRIS BROWN — FORGIVE AND FORGET?

Published:  Monday, October 29, 2012

Bobie-lee Dixon

It seems no matter how hard Chris Brown tries to move on in life, his past continues to haunt him. The 23-year-old singer whose latest album, Fortune has sold 303,600 copies worldwide, is making headlines again. But this time, not for any run-ins with the law.

Left: Singer Rihanna who was beaten by Chris Brown when they were in a relationship 

says she has forgiven Brown. Right: Guyanese women’s rights groups have been 

protesting against the upcoming visit of Chris Brown.

Because of Brown’s felony assault charges and conviction in the beating of singer and then girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, his visit to Guyana is being vehemently criticised by women rights groups in the country where he is expected to perform in December. 

The singer/songwriter is billed to perform on Boxing night in the state’s capital, Georgetown and the Guyanese government has also come under fire as it is alleged they are partly responsible for financing the convicted domestic abuser's visit. According to reports, the Government, in a bid to promote tourism is spending a great deal of money on the singer whose criminal record forbids him to perform in countries like the UK.

The protesting groups have voiced their opinions on blogs, saying that allowing Brown to perform in the country sends the wrong message especially as the government does not finance existing programmes in the country geared towards fighting domestic violence and providing rehabilitation for ex-domestic abusers. 

Others recognise his ‘right’ to perform in Guyana but question the use of taxpayer’s dollars to support his performance and some activists have said his visit makes a mockery of an upcoming 16-day Activism Against Gender-based Violence campaign, especially since the concert coincides with the occasion.

However, fans who use the social networking site Twitter have taken to Brown’s fan page pledging their support to the singer, saying he deserves a second chance and he has already paid for his mistake. Brown was sentenced by a Los Angeles judge to probation of five years and community labour for six months for assaulting Rihanna. He was also ordered to stay away from his former for the next five years from the incident’s date. But Rihanna has since forgiven Brown and even confessed to TV show host Oprah Winfrey in a recent interview that he is the love of her life. 

The Barbadian songstress said she found the capacity to forgive Brown for the attack through finding the means to forgive her own father for the abuse he subjected her mother to. The two have even collaborated on a few songs including the popular Cake.

Recent reports that the couple are reuniting has prompted mixed reactions among fans of both celebrities.

There have been unconfirmed reports that Brown is also carded to visit Trinidad and Tobago before the year’s end. Are people in this country as concerned as those in Guyana about allowing him to perform here given his domestic violence conviction, or are they ready to forgive and forget?  The T&T Guardian took to the streets of Port-of Spain to get a view from the some younger members of the public. Stephen Andrews, Kristoff Alexander and Shakima Joseph all 20, and 16-year-old Celine Weeks were interviewed 

Three of them said that Brown has done his time for the crime he committed and has proven he has changed. They believe he deserves a second chance. However, Alexander who is not a Brown fan said because of the incident, Brown should not be celebrated in anyway. 

We also spoke with Gregory Sloane-Seale, former child rights activist with the Coalition Against Domestic Violence and co-ordinator of the Citizen Security Programme within the Ministry of National Security, as well as criminologist Renee Cummings. Sloane-Seale said it was not just about giving Brown a second chance. According to him, it is about watching what has transpired since the incident to date. He said from what he has read about Brown since the Rihanna incident, the performer seems to have shown remorse, attended the anger management sessions ordered by the court and continues to do his community service.  

“He is a young person, his presence can be a voice for hope and change among young people especially young men. You cannot condemn a person for life especially a young person for his infraction,” Sloane-Seale said. He added that it would have been wise for the Guyanese groups who are protesting to correspond with Brown’s management before his visit and organise for him speak about his experience and transformation during his visit to the country. “It is always sad for me when we throw the baby out with the bath water. No one is praising what he did but his actions were  already condemned, it was a moment that’s gone. We have to see how he goes on from here, support him and give him a chance to prove his change.”

Renee Cummings shared Sloane-Seale’s views. She said in domestic violence not all perpetrators have to continue being violent. She said the incident between Brown and Rihanna occurred at a time when they were very young, famous, rich and living on their own without guidance. For him to be continually labeled an abuser is wrong Cummings reasoned, as it only occurred once and he has since cleaned up his act. She said he has a criminal record because he was charged but the public has got to give him a chance to prove himself.

"In any relationship tempers flare — be it teenagers or adults and often we act out on the spur of the moment, realising after it could have been handled differently,” said Cummings."Yes he has a criminal record but does that mean the minute he lands in Guyana or Trinidad he is going to beat a woman," she rhetorically asked. Cummings said if they can organise to have him speak to young men about his experience and how it stigmatizes, that would be a bonus seeing that some of the activists' arguments are that the Government does not provide funding to sustain the domestic violence programmes needed to rehabilitate domestic abusers. "But to label the man an abuser out of the context of one incident which has not been repeated is definitely not the right or fair thing to do."

Local soca artistes also shared their views. Swappi said everybody has their own opinions about Brown but at the end of the day, apart from being an entertainer he is a human being. He said Brown has already been forgiven by the industry and has done his time.

His female counterpart Nadia Batson also felt people needed to get over what happened and allow Brown to grow positively. While she does not condone what happened, she feels Brown should not continue to be chastised for something he already paid for. 

"Because of what happened he is viewed as a woman beater, but this is not true. People make mistakes—no one is perfect. I just feel their are many other facets of Chris's life that can be focused on. People in this world are just too judgmental." she said.

Young singing sensation Erphaan Alves said Brown’s mistake will haunt him forever and that is just a fact he is going to have to learn to live with it. He said the only reason the issue keeps coming up is because of his role as an entertainer. "Everybody makes mistakes be it a president, mother, father or a plumber. When you are in the public’s eye it's just more difficult for you," said Alves. He continued: "He's is not the first artiste to have a criminal record and certainly won’t the first artiste to visit Trinidad with a record of any kind. Maybe the Guyanese government should have organized things better knowing the issues surrounding domestic violence in the country, but at the end of the day people cannot keep hating on Chris."

Megan Walrond, vocalist with the all-female band Sass said she understood the anguish of the women's rights groups in Guyana and that it is important for the Government to get financially involved in the rehabilitation of the perpetrators of domestic violence. But she also feels the people cannot make it a personal attack on Brown as he already served time for his actions. She said the word of God says we ought to forgive and that is what people need to do and move on because both Brown and Rihanna already have.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Immigration laws on people with convictions entering this country

According to Keith Sampson Deputy Chief Immigration Officer people with criminal records who attempt to enter Trinidad and Tobago may be refused entry under the provisions of sections 8(1)d or 8(1)q of Chapter 18:01— The Immigration Act of the Laws of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. He said under both sections, the first (8(1)d) states that entry is prohibited to people who have been convicted of or admit having committed any crime, which if committed in Trinidad and Tobago would be punishable with imprisonment for one or more years. The latter (8(1)q) states any person who from information or advice which in the opinion of the Minister is reliable information or advice is likely to be an undesirable inhabitant of, or visitor to Trinidad and Tobago.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2012-10-28/examining-views-domestic-violence

Family asks: “How come they can’t arrest this man for kidnapping and attempted murder?"

Kidnap victim’s relatives fear for their lives 

By Vashtee Achibar 

Wednesday, October 24 2012

Relatives of a woman who was tied to a tree for four days in the Tableland forest by a man are pleading with the police for protection saying they are being threatened by the person who has been abusing her.

Anne Marie Mathura, 43, was rescued by a gardener and has since been taken to a safe house by police. She was reported missing after her mother and sister returned from church one month ago and could not locate her.

On Monday, police told Newsday Mathura’s whereabouts, cannot be revealed to anyone as threats have been made to her life. Mathura is the mother of a teenage daughter.

Mathura’s worried sister Pamela, 41, told Newsday the man in question has been sending threats to her and her mother, Meena, 63. She said she called the Princes Town police to report the matter, but she said she feels the officers are not taking the threats seriously.

“How come they can’t arrest this man for kidnapping and attempted murder? Look at what he did to my sister and he walking all around and driving his vehicle and the police not arresting him. Is like they waiting on him to kill us,” she cried.

“As soon as it get dark, he coming around the house, unless they hold him we cannot lead a normal life, we cannot sleep in peace, every little noise we hear we jump up,” the worried woman said.

On September 28, Mathura was abducted from her parents home at Garth Road, Princes Town, by a man she knew. No one was home at the time she was snatched.

According to reports, Mathura recently broke off a three-year relationship with the man.

Her relatives reported her missing to the Princes Town Police Station, since threats had been made to her life.

Relatives told Newsday yesterday the mother of one disappeared the same day she had visited the police station and obtained a restraining order against the man.

The matter was due for hearing on October 1 and the suspect had been served the summons to appear in court.

For three days, no one saw or heard from her, until October 2, when she was found naked and tied to a tree by a gardener.

She was given clothing and subsequently taken to the Princes Town Police Station. Relatives said police took her to their home on Garth Road before she was whisked away to an unknown destination by the officers.

Princes Town police are continuing investigations.

Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/crime_and_court/0,168200.html

Battered Woman - Impacts on Children

 

Mom accused of burning child called battered woman

By AZARD ALI Tuesday, October 23 2012

SHE is a battered woman who is forced to hold down two jobs to care for four children single-handedly and is in need of psychiatric evaluation.

So argued an attorney yesterday before a Princes Town magistrate, on behalf of Chrystal Bardouille, 28, who is charged with burning her five-year-old son, Miguel Gomes, with a hot eating fork. But Senior Magistrate Debra Quintyne said being depressed was no reason for Bardouille to not appreciate the wrong of burning a child. The magistrate, however, ordered the woman, of New Grant, Princes Town, to be sent for evaluation at the St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital. Bardouille was arrested and charged under Section 3 (1) of the Children’s Act. The mother, who has three other children, ages six, seven and nine, has been in police custody since her arrest. Quintyne read the charge that on October 16, at Lengua Road, being in charge of a child under 18, the accused unnecessarily caused injury to the health of the child. Attorney Petronella Basdeo submitted to Quintyne that the Mental Health Act should be invoked so the court could send the mother for a psychiatric evaluation. Bardouille, she said, had been subjected to such physical and mental abuse by a man that in June she suffered a mental breakdown. Basdeo added the accused had been forced to do two jobs to take care of her children. She said, “My application is for the court to have her evaluated based on the fact that at the time of the alleged act, she had been under such mental depression that she could not have formed the mental capacity to know what she was doing to her child was wrong.”

Quintyne was, however, critical of Basdeo’s application, saying Bardouille went out to work after her “mental breakdown”.

The magistrate remanded Bardouille to the St Ann’s Hospital for evaluation. She is to return to court on November 5.

Source:  http://www.newsday.co.tt/crime_and_court/0,168153.html

Abuse Ends with Victim Defendant

2 years for killing common-law husband

By JADA LOUTOO Tuesday, October 16 2012

ANGELA Clarke wept quietly after being told she will serve out a prison term of two years and seven months for the killing of her common-law husband in 2008. Clarke, 37, a mother of six of La Fillette was yesterday sentenced by Justice Mark Mohammed in the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court, where she earlier this month pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

She was charged for the murder of Dean Bhandoo of Rincon Road, Las Cuevas on May 16, 2008. Bhandoo, 51, was stabbed once to the left side of his chest during an altercation at his home.

As he went through the sentencing process, Mohammed said he arrived at his sentence after balancing the seriousness of the act which resulted in a loss of life against the abuse Clarke endured for the two years she lived with Bhandoo.

Having also taken into consideration Clarke’s admittance of guilt as well as her efforts at rehabilitating herself while in prison, Mohammed said a sentence of seven years was appropriate.

He explained that although 12 years was his starting point, he deducted four years for the guilty plea and one year for the mitigating factors in the case, leaving seven years which was further reduced by the four years and five months Clarke spent in prison awaiting trial.

On October 3, when she pleaded guilty, Clarke was allowed to address the court and she said, she was “so very sorry” for her actions. The couple’s relationship was often fraught with loud, heated arguments and May 16, 2008 was no different.

According to prosecutor Tricia Hudlin-Cooper, Clarke stabbed Bhandoo after an argument. The couple were both said to have shown signs of being drunk and according to her attorney Vernon de Lima SC, six weeks prior to the incident a pregnant Clarke miscarried after being pushed by Bhandoo.

When police arrived, they saw Bhandoo’s body and Clarke told them: “Is it me you all come for? Don’t shoot...handcuff me.” After being cautioned, Clarke told police “Officer, (is) he really dead? I don’t know how he got stabbed. I went out the road to get soda for him because he was drunk.”

De Lima said alcohol played a big part in what happened on May 16, 2008. He admitted that Bhandoo was kind to Clarke’s six children, but the couple often drank together and argued.

De Lima noted that whenever Bhandoo drank he would become angry, possessive and jealous. Clarke, he said, was contrite and remorseful. “She knows what she did was wrong,” he said. Also appearing with de Lima for the defence was Kern Saney while Rehana Ali appeared for the prosecution.

Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/crime_and_court/0,167751.html

Shooting Follows Couples Heated Argument

Man stable after being shot in leg

Friday, October 12 2012

A 37-year-old man is currently warded in stable condition at the Arima District Health Facility after he was shot following an altercation with his wife.

Police reported that Jason Blanc, of Maturita Extension, Bypass Road, Arima, was in the company of his wife Charmaine, at the home of a close friend of theirs along La Retreat Road, Guanapo, when the couple got into a heated argument.

During the argument, a man who is known to both parties walked up to Blanc, and without much warning, pulled out a firearm and shot him once in one of his legs. The wounded man then fled the scene. He was not pursued by his attacker.

Eventually, Blanc was transported to the Arima District Health Facility where he was treated and, up to yesterday, was said to be in a stable condition. The police were notified about the incident, and a party of officers did visit the scene of the incident. However, the suspect was not found.

Despite this, investigators are confident that the suspect will be held. Investigations are continuing.

Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/crime_and_court/0,167554.html

Woman Chopped During Argument

Woman chopped during argument

By LAUREL V WILLIAMS Sunday, October 7 2012

A HOUSEWIFE was yesterday chopped about the body by a male relative, following a heated argument at the roadside in Barrackpore.

The victim, Lena Pooran, 39, of Nanan Trace, Barrackpore, was up to late yesterday warded at the San Fernando General Hospital in a stable condition.

Police investigators said Pooran and the man were proceeding in a vehicle along Rochard Road, Barrackpore, at about 1 am yesterday when they started arguing with one another. A police report said the man, who was the driver, stopped the vehicle and both got out. Police said the argument became even more heated and escalated into a fight on the roadside, during which time the man pulled out a cutlass and dealt Pooran several chops to her body.

The injured Pooran, a police report said, ran off after being dealt the chops, but collapsed a short distance away on the roadside. The man then returned to the vehicle and drove off, leaving Pooran bleeding profusely from her wounds.

Residents were alerted by the loud commotion and later discovered Pooran bleeding at the side of the road. Officers from both the Penal and Barrackpore Police Stations responded and Pooran was taken to the hospital, where she remained warded in a stable condition up to yesterday.

A subsequent search for the suspect was unsuccessful. However, police investigators said an arrest is imminent.

Cpl Fareez Khan and PC Andy Narine are continuing investigations.

Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/crime_and_court/0,167302.html

Tragic Loss of Life with Long Term Effects

Manhunt on for killer

Thursday, October 4 2012

POLICE yesterday continued their manhunt for a man who on Monday night stabbed a mother of two to death at her Williamsville home, shortly after she had taken her evening bath. Sources said that the search had widened from Williamsville to La Brea.

Meanwhile, an autopsy done yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre in St James confirmed that sales clerk Shanti Sewlal, 31, died as a result of shock and haemorrhage after being stabbed four times in her chest.

The fourth stab, was so forceful that the handle of the knife broke off with the blade protruding from Sewlal’s chest. Sewlal was stabbed in full view of her children Britney, 12, and Brian, nine, at their Esmeralda Branch Road, Williamsville home.

Sewlal and her family lived in an apartment downstairs the home of her parents Roy and Rowtie Sookram. Sewlal recently took out a restraining order against a man after she ended a 13-year-old relationship.

Sewlal will be buried today at the Whiteland cemetery following a funeral service at the house of mourning. Investigations are continuing.

Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/crime_and_court/0,167137.html

Family Violence in Tobago

Man stabbed to death

By KARL E CUPID, Tobago Bureau Tuesday, October 2 2012

IN WHAT is the fifth murder in Tobago for this year, a 32-year-old man was stabbed to death early yesterday morning by a male relative in full view of horrified students and school staff making their way to the Speyside High School in the North-East of the sister isle.

The killing is said to have occurred at about 6.45am. Delroy Cordner of Speyside was pronounced dead at the scene by the District Medical Officer who arrived several hours after Cordner was stabbed repeatedly on the left side of his chest.

His body was ordered removed from the scene by the District Medical Officer to the Scarborough Hospital mortuary where efforts were being made yesterday for an autopsy to be done.

A suspect, in his 30s, also of Speyside who police said is a relative of the deceased was taken into police custody shortly after the murder.

Cordner’s bloodstained body lay uncovered for several hours in a recreation ground not too far from the High School where he collapsed shortly after running away from his attacker.

A large crowd of villagers including Cordner’s relatives gathered near the recreation ground of the community which is some 23 miles from Tobago’s capital Scarborough. As the crowd stared at Cordner’s body, the suspect — Cordner’s relative — calmly sat handcuffed inside a marked police van, while investigators processed the crime scene.

Cordner’s body was subsequently covered with a sheet provided by a villager. Several villagers described the victim as a “menace” in the district. They accused the dead man of “distressing” residents while alive, with repeated acts of petty theft.

Other villagers countered by saying whatever his shortcomings, Cordner was, “a human being created by God” and should not have been killed in that manner. According to an eyewitness report, as related to police, the suspect who operated a roadside parlour selling fruits and vegetables confronted Cordner yesterday morning and accused him of repeatedly breaking into the parlour and stealing goods.

The eyewitness reported that the argument turned violent when both men started to throw stones at each other in front of the parlour. Cordner, the eyewitness told police, ran off only to return later holding some unknown object wrapped in paper.

As Cordner confronted his relative at the front of the parlour, the latter grabbed a knife and stabbed him several times in his chest. Cordner, the eyewitness said, ran off and collapsed in the recreation ground where he eventually bled to death.

As Cordner’s body lay in the grass, eyewitnesses reported, the suspect stood nearby smoking a cigarette as he waited for the police to arrive. A party of officers from Charlotteville Police Station arrived on the scene and the suspect was arrested.

For the past four weeks, three of Tobago’s five murders for 2012, were committed. In the early part of September, a woman gardener was stabbed and chopped in her garden while in the middle of September, an elderly man was chopped in his head and killed by a male relative. Investigations are continuing.

Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/crime_and_court/0,167028.html

The Cycle of Violence

The Cycle of Violence

Domestic violence is not just a one-time incident, but a pattern of behaviors over time. Most abusive relationships follow a cycle of violence, which has three stages: tension building, explosive incident, and honeymoon stage. The lengths of each stage can vary from seconds to years.

During the Tension Building phase, the warning signs of abuse begin to appear. They may repeat, they may change each time, but they are there.

• There are more arguments between the abuser and the victim.
• The abuser yells at the victim for no apparent reason.
• The abuser accuses the victim of acts they did not do, such as sleeping around, flirting with other people, cheating.
• The victim feels as if they cannot do anything right, and are afraid to do anything to make the situation worse.

During the Explosive Incident phase, the abuse occurs. It may be mental, physical, or sexual, but it is always an intense outburst.

• The abuser threatens the victim with physical violence.
• The abuser hits, grabs, shoves, kicks, or otherwise physically attacks the victim.
• The abuser screams and yells violently.
• The abuser throws objects across the room.
• The abuser injures a family pet.
• The abuser rapes or sexually assaults the victim.

During the Honeymoon Stage phase, the abuser tries to justify or minimize the abuse. They may treat the victim with extreme kindness as they try to "make up" for the attack, and try to keep the victim from fleeing. The abuser may also try to make the victim feel responsible for the abuse, so they will not blame the abuser or press charges.

• The abuser apologizes and promises that it will never happen again.
• The abuser tells the victim they love them.
• The abuser buys the victim gifts, such as flowers or jewelry, to "make up" for the abuse.
• The abuser makes excuses for the abuse, often blaming the victim for the abuse ("you made me do it", "it was only a little slap, it's not like I really hurt you", "you know that always makes me angry", "you know how stressed I've been lately because of work", and many others).

As a cycle, the phases repeat themselves: after the honeymoon stage, the tension eventually starts building again, which leads to another explosive incident. Over time, the tension building phase takes less time to lead to the explosion, which becomes more violent and dangerous, and the honeymoon stage becomes shorter and shorter.

Source: http://www.aedv.org/index.php/domestic-violence-facts