Mission

Non-Profit, 501(c)(3)

Mission: The Dragonfly Centre is committed to the elimination of domestic violence against women and their children by providing victim friendly services that promotes the empowerment of survivors; through advocacy, public awareness and education and community based initiatives.

Vision: The Dragonfly Centre envisions a world free of violence against women and their children and social justice for all. We are founded on the vision and belief that every person has the right to live in a safe environment free from violence and the fear of violence and strive to work collaboratively with the community to provide victim friendly services to support domestic violence victims, survivors to the stage of thriving.

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Sunday, December 29, 2013

DEADLY SUNDAY

Abused woman sets herself ablaze

By Rickie Ramdass rickie.ramdass@trinidadexpress.com

Story Created: Dec 29, 2013 at 10:23 PM ECT

Story Updated: Dec 29, 2013 at 10:23 PM ECT

FIERY DEATH: The faces of Hema Bassant, who committed

suicide yesterday by setting herself ablaze, and her husband

Sean Collymore are depicted on this teacup.

YEARS of abuse at the hands of a relative is believed to be the reason a Diego Martin woman ended her life yesterday morning after she doused herself with kerosene and then lit herself ablaze.

After setting herself on fire on a hill in the yard of her Richplain Road home around 3 a.m., Hema Bassant, 33, fell several metres on to a staircase below, where she eventually burnt to death, police reported.

The woman’s husband, Sean Collymore, 43, who was at home at the time, tried unsuccessfully to save his wife’s life by breaking a water line in the yard and spraying her down in an attempt to put out the blaze.

The water, however, did not assist his cause, as it made the fire grow even more, investigators said.
Collymore, they said, suffered burns to both his arms and was taken to Port of Spain General Hospital, where he was treated and later discharged.

When the Express visited the scene of the incident yesterday, officials from the Diego Martin Regional Corporation, where Collymore was employed, were seen removing appliances and electronic items from inside the house to another location

.
The woman’s mother-in-law, Jessica Collymore, said only on Saturday she spoke with Bassant and asked her to accompany her to church yesterday.

“But she told me she wasn’t ready yet and I asked her, ‘How you not ready yet?’ She said, ‘I just not ready,’” said Jessica.

She said the woman’s four children, who were at home at the time, witnessed their mother’s fiery death.

They are now staying with other relatives in the Diego Martin area, said Jessica.

She stated that on several occasions she had advised Bassant to report the alleged abuse to police, and this was done. Bassant and the relative had also sought counselling, but the abuse did not stop, she said.

She described her daughter-in-law as a cool person, who was always seeking her advice.

“Hema was cool, always want advice. She used to come to me for advice because I’m older than her, so she would come to me for advice. Since Christmas she was to come by me and stay, but I told her I don’t want them (the relative) coming down by me and getting on, because when you see there is abuse in the family and you go by other family, it gets worse... I won’t say that this is surprising, but I really did not expect it to get this far,” said Jessica.

An autopsy is expected to be conducted on Bassant’s body today at the Forensic Science Centre, Federation Park, St James.

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/DEADLY--SUNDAY-237912081.html

Man shoots himself in the chest

By Susan Mohammed susan.mohammed@trinidadexpress.com

Story Created: Dec 29, 2013 at 10:19 PM ECT

Story Updated: Dec 29, 2013 at 10:19 PM ECT

A 44-year-old Mayaro man is believed to have committed suicide after he attempted to poison his 37-year-old wife yesterday.

Steve Bain, of Coconut Grove Village, Ortoire Village, died at the Sangre Grande Area Hospital hours after he served a cup of tea laced with a poisonous substance to Neltia Abraham at their home.

According to police, around 7 a.m. Bain gave the tea to Abraham for breakfast.

Police were told that after taking the first sip, Abraham complained the tea had a bitter taste.

Within minutes, she began to vomit and had diarrhoea.

Bain took Abraham to the Mayaro District Hospital and left her while she was undergoing treatment.
He then returned to his home, where he placed the barrel of his licensed shotgun to his chest and pulled the trigger.

He died while undergoing treatment.

An autopsy is expected to be conducted on his body today

.
PC Ramkissoon, of the Mayaro Police Station, is continuing investigations into the incident.

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Man-shoots-himself-in-the-chest-237911921.html

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A Little Background…..

In 2007 I was introduced to the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is a beautiful tropical country located in the southern most part of the Caribbean archipelago. However, the opportunity to travel to this part of the world would not present itself until March of 2009. It was an incredible experience to be able to visit a country where I had never been before and I literally knew no-one. I had the privilege to experience a new culture and meet many wonderful people who made my trip an amazing experience. Although the purpose of my visit was recreational, something happened that changed all of that. One evening while on a hike with my tour guide and one of the locals at The ASA Wright Nature Centre, one of the men asked me where I was from and what I did for a living. It was at that moment that I disclosed that I was a Domestic Violence Advocate. He paused, looked at me and replied,… “we need you here”. At that moment I did not fully understand what he meant or how I could help.

A few days after this I visited one of the local court houses to learn about how someone could obtain a protection order. What I discovered disturbed me greatly, to say the least. The process by which abused individuals could obtain legal protections left much to be desired. This sparked grave concern for victims coupled with a desire to learn more about the local system and services. After I finished my travels all I could think about was the need of the people in Trinidad and Tobago. It was shortly after my return to the United States that the Dragonfly Centre for Women’s Empowerment and Transformation began to take form. While completing my Bachelors degree at Evergreen College, I developed an Individual Learning Contract entitled “Domestic Violence in Trinidad and Tobago” and was awarded The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. This allowed me to return to Trinidad and Tobago for my final quarter at the end of December of 2009 for my nine week study. My focus was on services addressing domestic violence. What I came away with was the echoing cries for help by the people who freely shared their personal views and stories. Although I wasn’t quite sure what, I knew I had to do something. As a consequence, it was these cries that gave birth to and helped shape the Dragonfly Centre to be what it is, a multifaceted institution with a focus on public education, shaping public policy and providing direct victim friendly services to support families dealing with domestic violence.