2013 .. T&T marred by slaughter of the innocents
By NALINEE SEELAL and ALEXANDER BRUZUAL
Sunday, December 22 2013
T&T Newsday
The senseless killing and deaths of toddlers and children this year captured the headlines as lead stories at all media houses evoking public outrage, so much so, that Government was prompted to directly respond and order a special Task Force be set up to deal specifically with protecting the rights of children.
All within the 91-day time frame of September and November, seven children lost their lives in tragic circumstances. However, it was the period between November 20 and November 30, where, in the space of just ten days, this nation was rocked with the violent deaths of three children, a one-year-old baby, a three-year-old toddler, and a six-year-old girl.
The brutal rape and murder of six-year-old Keyana Cumberbatch of Maloney Gardens prompted island- wide outrage and demands for justice — so much so that the reports even garnered international coverage in the United Kingdom and in the United States. A 27-year-old male relative of Keyana has since appeared before an Arima magistrate charged with her murder and has been ordered to be sent to the St Ann’s Hospital for an evaluation and assessment.
The facts are that on November 25, Keyana disappeared after she was reportedly sent to her grandmother’s home across the road from her Building Four, Maloney apartment home. A report was made to the police, but unfortunately Keyana was never seen alive again.
Northern Division officers did work assiduously alongside officials from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, as they searched day and night for Keyana, however, there was absolutely no sign of the girl.
It was not until three days later that Keyana’s mother, Simone Williams, noticed a strong stench coming from her bedroom, and upon investigating, discovered her daughter’s crumpled body stuffed in a barrel.
An autopsy carried out by forensic psychologist Dr Valerie Alexandrov revealed Keyana’s head was bashed in. The autopsy also showed that after she was killed, Keyana was raped.
By NALINEE SEELAL and ALEXANDER BRUZUAL
Sunday, December 22 2013
T&T Newsday
The senseless killing and deaths of toddlers and children this year captured the headlines as lead stories at all media houses evoking public outrage, so much so, that Government was prompted to directly respond and order a special Task Force be set up to deal specifically with protecting the rights of children.
All within the 91-day time frame of September and November, seven children lost their lives in tragic circumstances. However, it was the period between November 20 and November 30, where, in the space of just ten days, this nation was rocked with the violent deaths of three children, a one-year-old baby, a three-year-old toddler, and a six-year-old girl.
The brutal rape and murder of six-year-old Keyana Cumberbatch of Maloney Gardens prompted island- wide outrage and demands for justice — so much so that the reports even garnered international coverage in the United Kingdom and in the United States. A 27-year-old male relative of Keyana has since appeared before an Arima magistrate charged with her murder and has been ordered to be sent to the St Ann’s Hospital for an evaluation and assessment.
The facts are that on November 25, Keyana disappeared after she was reportedly sent to her grandmother’s home across the road from her Building Four, Maloney apartment home. A report was made to the police, but unfortunately Keyana was never seen alive again.
Northern Division officers did work assiduously alongside officials from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, as they searched day and night for Keyana, however, there was absolutely no sign of the girl.
It was not until three days later that Keyana’s mother, Simone Williams, noticed a strong stench coming from her bedroom, and upon investigating, discovered her daughter’s crumpled body stuffed in a barrel.
An autopsy carried out by forensic psychologist Dr Valerie Alexandrov revealed Keyana’s head was bashed in. The autopsy also showed that after she was killed, Keyana was raped.