Man breaks 13-year-old granddaughter’s hand

Jul 28, 2015 News

…threatened to have 14-year-old granddaughter raped

Drupattie Bholo and her injured daughter, Leisa Austin

More sordid tales are emerging on a daily basis of incompetence on the part of public officers.

It is bad enough when a grandfather could take a piece of wood and break his 13-year-old granddaughter’s hand. It is worse when he threatens the 14 year old that he would have her raped. These matters were reported and nothing has been done.

In a situation like that something has to be wrong. The police seem to be reluctant to take action. Even when the matter was reported to the Child Care Department at Whim no action was taken.

The grandfather is 72 years old overseas-based Guyanese, William Christopher Austin, called Bare Bake, or Bayee, of 89 Sunny Back Road, London, and Alness Corentyne, Berbice.

The issue stemmed from some family problems which dated back a while. Somehow, the man and one of his sons, Christopher Austin, had taken issues with another son, Selwyn Anthony Austin, called “Tony”, and some other family members.

The issue got so out of hand that the elderly man decided to take revenge against Selwyn’s entire family.

He decided to vent his anger on the small children. He decided to ban the children from going into the yard which, according to information, is children’s property.

According to the mother of the injured child, Drupattie Bholo, a vendor of Freeyard, Port Mourant, she and her nine-year-old son were standing on the road waiting on transportation to go and tend to their pigs, when her father-in-law rushed up to her and pushed his fingers in her eyes whilst shouting to her that she and her children are not to re-enter the yard. He threatened to kill her.

An altercation eventually ensued with the man and his other son calling the police on Selwyn and caused him to be locked up. She said that she enquired at the station, but was told that her husband was not there. They also made a report to the Whim Police Station.

She said that on the following day she and her 13-year-old daughter, Leisa Austin, a second form student of Port Mourant Secondary School, were on the road awaiting transportation to go to the Port Mourant Market to sell the produce they had earlier brought out from the back dam.

The woman said that as she waited on the road she saw the man approaching them with a piece of wood in his hands. She did not take it for anything since she was with her daughter, his granddaughter. He then without warning dealt the child one lash to her right arm. The child cried out in agony but simply walked away.

The matter was reported, the police gave her a medical form for the child to take to the hospital. A medical examination was done which showed that the child suffered a broken arm. It was then that they were told that her husband was in the lock up. He was subsequently released.

The man was sent for, but was released even as he boasted about his high connections.

According to the woman, he continued to issue threats and even threatened the child that the next time he would not break her arm, but would bite off her ears like a donkey.

According to the child’s mother, her daughter is also not well. The man then threatened his 14-year-old granddaughter, Angela Austin, to have her raped the next time she goes to the back dam.

The family is lamenting the fact that the authorities are not doing anything and are pleading for help. They want the Ministry of Social Protection and the police hierarchy to take some action.

A visit to the Child Welfare Department at Whim did not bring any reprieve. The family was told that nothing can be done.

In the meanwhile Selwyn has been charged and placed before the courts with threatening behaviour.