Police arrest abused woman who has been fighting for years to have her abusive husband arrested
Abused mother of five who continues to be failed by the justice system
By Leroy Smith
A mother of five girls who has been enduring years of domestic abuse and filed numerous complaints with the police since 2008 and up to late on Monday evening found herself detained at the Alberttown Police Station on claims that she broke the windscreen of a car her abuser drives. What is interesting to note is that from 2008 to Monday despite the many reports of physical and emotional abuse the woman has reported to the police, the perpetrator, according to the victim was never arrested and charged.
42 year old Cosmetologists ‘Jessica’ (NOT HER REAL NAME) a mother of five girls ages 7, 10, 12, 18 and 22 has no fixed place of abode as she and her children were forced to leave all their belonging including cloths and house hold appliances and run for their lives from an abusive man who ‘Jessica’ shared a relationship with. They were said to be married for ten years but knew each other and lived together before the marriage. The woman is presently at a save house where she is being counselled.
In an interview with BIG Smith Crime Watch on Tuesday, ‘Jessica’ who literally trembled and cried spoke of the abuse she endured in an effort to save her marriage and ensure the security of five girls.
“It’s been years of abuse a lot of physical abuse a lot of emotional abuse to the point where I could not take it anymore. December 23rd he stabbed me to my neck, he buss my head, he lash me cross meh back while I was pregnant and it was constant beating and abuse in the house” the crying woman told BIG Smith Crime Watch.
She was asked if she “fought back” to which she said she did at time but the man would usually overpower her.
According to ‘Jessica’ the abuse would take place in front of the children and at time the children would have to run from the home when the abuse start.
“Sometime he would kick, whatever he got he would lash you with, whatever” she stated. She said that after the physical and emotional abuse she then began being subjected to sexual abuse by the man she married.
The woman said that before the marriage the man was a very nice person at first but had a love for many women and when she talked about that behaviour he would be her, throw her clothing outside and break up her house hold appliances.
“Years before I would go to the station and make reports and stuff like that and I would always go back and live with him but as the abuse got worst and I could not take it anymore I left” she recalled.
She explained that a few weeks ago she suffered a public beating and humiliation at the hands of her husband who has been threatening to kill her and the children, even calling one of his girl a bitch.
“I pick up my 10 and 7 year old and we cross over Regent Street right by Bourda Street, I did not even see which side he came from but he was there. He snatched my phone, throw it in the gutter and he start one big fight cuffing me in my head and a lot of people was there and nobody was really helping at first and some people took out their phones and start videoing”
The woman said that was not the only public encounter between the man and her. In fact, she stated that there was an incident before the developments at Bourda.
“I was walking at Japarts where they have the side walk and I was up there and he drive the car straight into me up there, I went to the station and I make a report, the police them did not even go and ask the people them for the footage to see what going they just take a statement and take your number and said that whenever they have him they will call” ‘Jessica related.
But it was the issue on Monday evening and the subsequent arresting of the victim in the years of abuse that has caused the woman to come forward with her story through her advocate who has been banging on doors and calling high and low to ensure that the woman receives justice.
“Last night I was standing waiting on my friend and then he came up with the same car and started coming towards me telling me how he gon chop open my head and how he gon kill me and I call for my daughter and she was right in the passageway there and we run back inside and after he drive off the car I went to the station and make a report. Same time a patrol came in and they carry me around by where he does live and the police does normally go and knock on the gate and if nobody ain’t answer they does jest leave. One time when we went with the police, the door was open and people were talking in the house and when they knock on the gate they stop talk and the police did not bother to go in. So last night that is the exact thing that happen and as we were approaching the house I saw the car that he does drive and then when I came out of the vehicle they actually were driving off and leave me there and I had to call out to them and they told me that they have to go on another report” ‘Jessica’ explained as she cried and asked the police not to leave her there.
The woman said that the police took her home and then then on Tuesday morning they invited her down to the police station and when she arrived, they took her into custody and told her that the owner of the car claimed that four witnesses informed him that ‘Jessica’ broke her car window last evening after she came with the police and left.
She said that when she was there she on Monday evening it was her and the police and after she was taken back home she did not go back to the house. The woman said that she is presently running and hiding from the man who has been abusing her and it was not in her life’s interest to go anywhere close to the man or his property or items he uses, without being in the company of the police as she is afraid of him.
‘Jessica” said that she has provided the police at the Alberttown Police Station with countless statements on her series of abuse and also even provided them with a damage phone as evidence and a photograph of the man who has been threatening to take her life. She said that when she was back at the station on Monday evening, the police could not find any of that she had given them, including her statements which she submitted and signed to before.
As a result of the physical and emotional abuse which the woman has been enduring, her children have also been affected tremendously.
There is one instance where one of her daughter could not properly sit an examination while another one who has since been employed with an NGO has been unproductive at work because of psychological impact and trauma she has also witnessed her mother going through over the years and moreover, recently.
“I am scared to go outside, every time you go somewhere you have to deh looking over your shoulder everywhere I go; he coming, everywhere he deh” the woman said.
One of the woman’s teen daughter who also spoke with BIG Smith Crime Watch related that they have all endured years of abuse and have been all over the place.
“We have endured a number of years of abuse with this man who I have known to be my stepfather. Ever since mom fled from the relationship, we have been around and about and we practically have nothing because mom left everything” the eighteen year old explained as she also corroborated the story of her mother about what happened on Monday evening and Tuesday morning with the police.
BIG Smith Crime Watch was also told of instances where the man would keep showing up where family has been seeking refuge and would wake up to find bags with their clothes inside shred to pieces.
“I am pleading, I am begging with you Mr. Smith I need some kind of justice for this I as a young person would love to have my social life3 I would like to be able to move around just as every other person. For me this is false imprisonment totally because I am being restraint from my liberty here and this is not fair, this is not fair, I have younger siblings that like to play in the yard, you know how children are Mr. Smith, they like to socialize and they cannot do that” the teenage child passionately proclaimed.
‘Jessica’ also used the opportunity to make her plea as she seeks to have a normal life and for the police to make an arrest of the man who has her living like a virtual prisoner.
“I calling for justice for myself and my children and I don’t have no social life I don’t know what kind of assistance the commissioner of police can give to me, I made numerous reports I have many medical ad nothing is being done this individual is just living one corner away from the police station, the police say they can’t make no arrest because they don’t know that this man look like I give them a photo and it disappear” the fearful woman related.
BIG Smith Crime Watch was told that the both the Commissioner of Police Leslie James and Divisional Commander Marlon Chapman were made aware of the concerns of the woman who has been living in fear for all these years. The two senior officers were reportedly briefed at different intervals by the head of an NGO who acts as the advocate for the woman but today, no tangible results have been achieved to take her out of her misery.
