Dragonfly Centre: Couva Mom Tied Up, Throat Slit

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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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Couva Mom Tied Up, Throat Slit

Story Created: Feb 4, 2014 at 10:30 PM ECT

Story Updated: Feb 5, 2014 at 11:34 AM ECT

Murdered mother of three: Julie Guerraro

A COUVA mother was found murdered in her bed yesterday, with her hands and feet bound and throat slit.

The body of Julie Guerraro, 33, of Perth Avenue, Perseverance Village, was discovered at around 4.30 p.m.

Guerraro, a mother of three, was a pre-school teacher at Learning Tree Pre-School in Couva.
Police said her body was discovered by her brother, who went to check on her after calls to her cell phone went unanswered.

A party of police officers, led by Ag Snr Supt Johhny Abraham and Sgt Susan John of the Couva CID, visited the scene last night.

Guerraro was the ninth woman to be murdered for the year.

On Monday, 23-year-old Stacy Roopan was shot and killed while walking along the street near her home in Couva on her way to pick up her infant son at a preschool.

Police said the killings are unrelated.

Up to last night, the murder toll for the year to date stood at 54, while the figure at this time last year was 38.
—Susan Mohammed

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Couva-mom-tied-up-throat-slit-243608571.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.