Conflicting reports surround child assault in Chinese store

Jan 06, 2013 News

By Rehanna Ramsay

As the saying goes there are two sides to every story. The reported assault of an 11-year-old girl by two Chinese nationals last Friday is no different. However debate continues to surround the issue.

Grandmother Doreen le Fluer,

The child, a West Ruimveldt Primary School student, accompanied by her grandmother and uncle came forward to give her side of the story. The girl told this newspaper that contrary to initial reports that she was accused of stealing a pair of jeans, the child claimed that she was nowhere near any jeans.
“Me grandmother left me in the store and gone to collect money to buy bread and she tell me go and see fu any cheap tights I got to get for school.”
The girl said that she was browsing around looking for the item when a swimsuit fell from a rack. As she bent over to pick up the item, a Chinese woman ran up to her, physically attacked her and accused her of stealing. “She scramble me kemar and kick me in my belly and back and spit pon me and the (Chinese) man come. He hold me and bounce me head to the wall”
“She tell me that I come fu thief because I got on a kemar. She said that is a mask. I start cry and people come fu help and two people come fu help me.”
By this time, the girl said that a crowd started to converge to the scene and her uncle who was also in the vicinity also came to her rescue.
The man, Eon Thompson, said that he had to force his way into the building as the Chinese had blocked the entrance of the store to keep out the crowd.
“When I got into the store this Chinese woman claim that my niece went upstairs in her house and try to harm her baby. But even if she ain’t find she with nothing she gon beat de child and spit pon she?”
According to the man the police were summoned before the angry crowd could have got hold of the Chinese couple. The obviously offended man said that his niece was taken to Brickdam Police Station and later to the Georgetown Public Hospital. There, a medical certificate was issued in her name. The child sustained injuries to her head, elbow and back.
“We went to Brickdam but the station doctor say that he ain’t find no serious injury. When we went to Georgetown Hospital the Doctor issued a medical showing her injuries which although are not life threatening, could cause disfigurement.”
A still irritated Alyssa Ren, owner of the Sino Store, said that she found the child under her bed at the third floor of the building.
“Me store is downstairs, middle floor is storage bond and top floor I live. Around 12 0 clock I went upstairs to feed me babies. One is one-year-old and the other two and half. I find this girl in my house and me beat her but not so bad and she tell me not to call the police.”
“I was in shock and angry. Me throw she down and beat she and my husband come and try separating me from her. I was angry because I left my two babies upstairs alone and I come and find this stranger in my house.”
The woman claimed that she was not able to search the girl or inquire what she was doing in her home because the police came and they were taken to the Station.
“The police charge me and my husband because the little girl tell them that we both beat she but they no ask the little girl no question. They charge me for doing the right thing.”
Ren claimed that when she returned to her store someone had broken into it and stolen goods, money computer and surveillance cameras. She estimated her losses to be over $1.4 million.
The couple was placed on $10,000 station bail each. They are scheduled for court on Tuesday.