Father claims judicial system has failed him

Jun 18, 2008 News

A father is questioning the relevance of taking criminal matters to the judicial system since, according to him, a recent experience has not only caused him to lose confidence in the system, but has also ensured that his daughter remains in an abusive situation.

Relating his story to this newspaper yesterday, Lloyd Daniels, of 24 I Duncan Street, Campbellville, said that his 14-year-old daughter has, for almost a decade, been enduring physical abuse at the hands of her stepfather.

He, however, disclosed that it was on Friday, May 23 last, that his daughter was exposed to the worst beating of her life, and he fears that this may probably leave her scarred for life.

According to the man, he and the girl’s mother had separated a number of years ago, causing the woman to take the two daughters of their union into a relationship she struck up with another man.

Daniels said that his daughters were allowed to visit him on some occasions, and they would inform him that they were being physically abused by their stepfather.

He said that he was made to understand that his daughters were even accused wrongfully for things that the stepfather’s children had done.

The man said that he had even become suspicious that his eldest daughter was being sexually molested, and, in 2006, he took her to the Georgetown Public Hospital to be examined.

That examination, he revealed, suggested that his child had been molested and he was advised to have the child take a number of tests, including HIV and pregnancy tests.

The man said that after he confronted his children’s mother with the allegations, she neither admitted nor denied but, instead, started to keep the children away from him.

Daniels related that the children were subjected to a series of relocations in a bid to ensure that he did not know where they were.

According to him, they moved around to a number of areas in Georgetown, the East Coast of Demerara, and on the West Bank of Demerara.

Daniels, who claims to be a well-known person, said that he became aware of their latest location and of his eldest daughter’s recent beating after a woman who witnessed the ordeal telephoned his wife in this regard.

The report of the incident, Daniels said, was that the stepfather had confronted the child on a public thoroughfare while she was in the company of two male friends. Daniels said he was told that not only did the stepfather warn the boys to stay away from the child, but he beat the girl with an umbrella.

At the end of the ordeal, the child, who is light in complexion, was not only evidently bruised about her body, but her left eye also appeared to have been damaged in the process.

On learning of the incident, the man said, he attempted to find his daughter at the school she was attending but, instead, found the younger daughter, who told him that the elder sister had fallen down the stairs. This, Daniels said, was disturbing, since they resided in a flat house.

As a result, he said, he immediately suspected that there was some truth to the report he had received, and therefore sought intervention from the Probation and Welfare Department in that area. An officer gave him a referral letter to take to the Police station.

After relating the incident, Daniels said, he was accompanied by a Police officer to the home of his children, where they found his injured daughter and the stepfather.

Daniels said that, without any objection from the man, he and the officer were able to remove the bruised child from the home and take her to the station.

The stepfather and the mother of the child subsequently arrived at the station together.
At the station, he said, a sergeant advised that the matter remain with the Probation Department rather than become a court matter, a move Daniels said he objected to.

The matter was eventually brought to the court, where the magistrate advised that the mother of the child, in the company of a Police officer, take the child to have a medical examination done.

That examination contradicted the earlier examination. It showed that the girl was not sexually active.
According to Daniels, the magistrate who presided over that matter was not only unprofessional in carrying out his duties, but also accused him (Daniels) of encouraging his daughter to lie in court, even though he (the magistrate) did not even listen to his daughter’s side of the story.

Daniels said that the magistrate merely listened to the mother and stepfather’s version of the story.
Daniels said that, after two hearings of the court, during which he was ordered to remain silent or be jailed, the magistrate decided that he would make a decision based on the Probation report.

At the conclusion of the matter, on Friday last, Daniels said, it was the recommendation of the Probation Officer that his daughter remain in the home of the stepfather and the mother, thus causing the magistrate to make that the ultimate ruling.

He said that his daughter cried out in defiance.
Daniels said that he could not believe that the system, which is supposed to be the provider of justice, was forcing his child to remain in such a situation, although there was evidence as well as witnesses to confirm the extent of the abuse she had endured.