Thirty-year-old Felecia Dharamgeet, is still fearful for her life three weeks after being stabbed several times about her body by her husband at Bladen Hall on May 16.
Dharamgeet has been discharged from the hospital, but her husband is yet to be arrested by the police. Her 11-year-old son was injured during the incident.
In an interview with Stabroek News yesterday, Dharamgeet explained that a wanted bulletin was yet to be issued for her husband, 32-year-old Mahendra Rampersaud. Her children, she added, have not attended school since the incident occurred.
“We need to lock the doors. The children are so scared, I don’t know how to send them to school, but we will give it a chance. The police didn’t give a positive answer since they keep saying Mr Smartt will handle the matter. The kids don’t want to go outside,” Dharamgeet said.
Social workers had visited Dharamgeet in the hospital after she was stabbed several times about her body by her husband.
According to Dharamgeet, during the visit by social workers, she was advised to stay at a Help & Shelter facility for six weeks. However, concerned about the well-being of her children, she chose to return to her mother’s house instead. Dharamgeet also revealed to this newspaper that she has visited the Vigilance Police Station multiple times seeking updates on the incident and the progress in apprehending her husband. Despite her efforts, she has not received any positive response. Police informed her on several occasions that Mr Smartt was responsible for handling the investigation, but she has yet to meet the officer in charge.
The incident occurred at the home of her mother, Sita Mangal, at Bladen Hall, East Coast Demerara.
Mangal told Stabroek News that the 11-year-old son was treated and sent home but was unable to attend school. According to Mangal, social workers visited her daughter in the hospital and interviewed her and promised to visit her residence to assess their safety and living conditions.
Dharamgeet and Rampersaud have been married for 14 years. The relationship was abusive and three months prior to the incident, Dharamgeet left their Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara home and went to live with her mother at Bladen Hall north, East Coast Demerara.
Rampersaud still picked up the children and took them to school daily as part of their agreed co-parenting duties.
“Friday, three o’clock, he called and asked me to go outside. I told him no. Then he came upstairs and started arguing, how I get some relationship outside. And I telling people that he doesn’t look after he children. So, I said well let the people come in front of me and tell me that I say that. He said no he don’t have to bring nobody,” Dharamgeet had related.
While the argument was ongoing, Dharamgeet’s mother told him to leave her premises, but he refused. The woman then proceeded to close the door but Rampersaud forced his way in, pushed her aside and pulled a knife from his waist.
“He pushed me on the couch. He attacked me with a knife. He stabbed me two times on the neck, I got two chops on the hand and a couple other small chops,” Dharamgeet had related.
As Rampersaud attacked Dharamgeet, their 11-year-old son attempted to stop his father and, in the process, he was chopped on both hands. Rampersaud then escaped, and the two were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital and admitted. The incident was reported to the police by her nine-year-old son.
Dharamgeet said she had received multiple threats from her husband that he would kill her if she did not return home. She expressed deep fear not only for her own safety but also for the well-being of her children.
