Dragonfly Centre: Murdered Grande Mom Laid to Rest

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

Murdered Grande Mom Laid to Rest

Murdered Grande mom laid to rest

Story Created: Feb 4, 2014 at 10:28 PM ECT

Story Updated: Feb 4, 2014 at 10:28 PM ECT

IMEELIA GOUMEL, 21, who was found dead at her Sangre Grande apartment last week, was laid to rest yesterday. She was initially thought to have committed suicide, but her death has since turned into a murder investigation.

Goumel was seven months’ pregnant at the time of death and the foetus was found next to the mother’s body last Thursday in her apartment at Shepherd Lane, Coalmine, Sangre Grande. Her funeral service was held at Allen’s Funeral Home in Sangre Grande and she was later buried at Toure Cemetery.

On Friday, an autopsy was performed and the initial results were that Goumel bled to death after slitting her wrists.

On Saturday, another autopsy was done at Allen’s in Sangre Grande and it was determined the Youth Training and Employment Partnership Programme (YTEPP) student had been killed.

Last October, Goumel reported to the Sangre Grande police that she was being beaten by a man she knew, despite being four months pregnant at the time.

Police said a few people have been interviewed in relation to Goumel’s death and investigations were on-going. —GG

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Murdered-Grande-mom-laid-to-rest-243608411.html

UPDATE: Cops rule out murder in Sangre Grande woman's death

Police suspect suicide in Goumel's death

Published: Friday, January 31, 2014

Gerard Best

Iemeeliah Goumel

Police now suspect suicide, not murder, was behind the death of Iemeeliah Goumel, a 21-year-old woman whose decomposed body was found semi-nude next to a dead foetus in her Shepherd Lane, Coalmine, Sangre Grande apartment on Thursday.

Police initially suspected murder because Goumel's body bore marks of violence.

The first month of 2014 was not for the faint-hearted; it ended with the shooting death of Belmont man, which brought the murder toll to 45 in 31 days.

The high body count comes on the heels of a bloody end to 2013, with 41 murders in November and 42 in December, according to statistics from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service website.

News of Goumel's death came as police were probing an unrelated incident in which the body of Jayanti Dubay-Ramrattan, a 32-year-old nurse, was found stuffed in the trunk of her own vehicle outside the Barrackpore police station.

Ramrattan was one of six women murdered this year, according to open data source Bullet Points.

Police are also investigating an unrelated incident, in which Dwayne Reuben, 30, was shot dead yesterday at Upper St Francois Valley Road, Belmont. He was the 45th murder victim of 2014.

Source: http://www4.guardian.co.tt/news/2014-01-31/update-cops-rule-out-murder-sangre-grande-womans-death

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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.