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, February 2, 2014

Death of a 21-year-old Woman

Autopsy: 21-year-old woman committed suicide

Story Created: Jan 31, 2014 at 9:17 PM ECT

Story Updated: Jan 31, 2014 at 10:10 PM ECT

THE death of a 21-year-old woman, whose seven-month-old foetus was found next to her body, is being treated as a suicide following a post-mortem at the Forensic Science Centre in Federation Park yesterday.

According to the post-mortem results, the victim killed herself by slitting her wrists.

Her name was Imeelia Goumel. She was a Youth Training and Employment Partnership Programme (YTEPP) student, who lived by herself at an apartment at Shepherd Lane, Coalmine, Sangre Grande.

Her father, Patrick Goumel, did not have much to say yesterday afternoon when telephoned by the Express, only that he last spoke to her about a week and a half ago.

“She was a cool person and I don’t want to say much besides that as she lived with her mom, so as far as I know she was always okay. She had her friends and so on, so I really can’t say how she lived.”

The woman’s body was found sometime on Thursday after neighbours reported a stench emanating from the apartment.

The police were called in and a team of officers along with the apartment’s landlord entered the premises and found Goumel’s semi-nude body lying on the floor in a bedroom. The foetus was near the body.

Police initially thought she had been beaten and left for dead. They believe the body had been there for four days prior to the discovery.

Relatives who were contacted by police said the last time they saw Goumel alive was on Sunday.

The Express was told that Goumel’s mother is out of the country as she is said to be working on a cruise ship. It was not known if Goumel’s mother was aware of her daughter’s death.

Pathologist Dr Hughvon Des Vignes concluded that Goumel slit her wrists, following which she bled to death.

Sangre Grande CID and Homicide Bureau officers are continuing investigations.
—Gyasi Gonzales

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Autopsy-21-year-old-woman-committed-suicide-243021141.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.