With a father of three now dead, and the mother now in the hands of the Guyana Police Force due to a stabbing incident, family members of the young man have insisted that this situation came as a result of years of abuse.
The now dead, Anthony Pakanram, called Max, died Sunday after he was fatally stabbed to his neck in a scuffle with his wife whom he had been threatening with a knife.
In a statement, the police explained that that the suspect and Pakanram had a misunderstanding which caused him to physically assault the suspect who moved out of their home to her parents’ abode at Old Road Providence.
The police added that Pakanram at the time became angry, armed himself with a knife and despite the suspect trying to flee, (Pakanram) cornered her and a scuffle ensued. It was at that moment he was stabbed to the neck by the victim.
With the relationship ending tragically and as police are now probing the incident, family members insisted that the end came as a result of years of abuse according to the suspect’s Aunt, Sursattie Bimaul.
“She was in a common-law relationship for the past 12 years. The union brought forth three children.
“In the midst of the 12 years, she was abused. She was living in a domestic violence relationship with no happiness. Drinking, he assaulted her, he accusing her of things, he not supporting the children the way he should as a father.
“So, this incident on and off, where my sister at once, I couldn’t remember the exact year, where my sister gives me several complaints to the authorities,” Ms. Bimaul explained
The abuse occurred even at a time when she endured the loss of her mother and after she would have left the man’s home trying to escape the abuse, even with counseling.
“During the midst of the counseling, he begged, he asked for forgiveness, he apologised and the wife due to the children give him chances and changes.
“It got out of hand and they had an incident in March …She moves out, he beat her up and put her out and she went over to her parents’ place in March.
“So, my sister came and died in April. She didn’t go back home, she stayed with my brother-in-law to assist. In the process of the wake while we were there he drank and he misbehaves.
“We tame him down; he keeps going and coming every time became he keep cursing,” Ms. Bimaul added.
“This has been going on for years due to the fact that it was on several occasions. It reached the authorities. One time even he was called in by the police for trying to set the house and her on fire by throwing a flammable liquid on her but in the end, even with the family’s disapproval, the man returns with an apology.
“He later continues the abuse when things calm down.”
At the time the family believed that the wife was defending herself since she was at time-fighting for her life.
Head of the United Bridge Builders Mission, Bonita Montaque, has said that more and more “we have seen that women are not safe, as the old methods aren’t working since most time things end in a tragic manner.”
“I’m concerned; if it’s not a man shooting a woman in her abdomen, it’s a shallow grave murder that we seem not to be able to find the culprit. When will it stop? There is no change from abuse.
“If you are not someone willing to stop, no counseling will penetrate you, no work will penetrate you because you have your mindset and so some families believe culturally that we can’t control that. I am really concerned,” Ms. Montague insisted.
Ms Montague advised those women in abusive relationships to not return to the relationship of abuse since it can turn out bad not only for them but for the children.
