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Post mortem confirms death by poison
A Post Mortem examination done on the body of human rights and LGBT activist, Zenita Nicholson, has revealed that the woman died of ingestion of pesticides.
Dead: Zenita Nicholson
The examination was done yesterday at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
Kaieteur News was told that the woman’s stomach content was handed over to the police and a toxicology test will be done.
The mother of two died around 03:15 on Monday at a private hospital after she reportedly ingested 10 carbide tablets.
It is believed that the woman, after being constantly abused, both mentally and physically by her partner, decided to end her life.
Nicholson’s death came as a shock to many as she was known as someone who fought against discrimination and human rights abuses and domestic violence for years.
She was a former Secretary to the Board of SASOD – Society against Sexual Orientation Discrimination.
Co-Chairman of SASOD, Joel Simpson, said that at around 04:00 hrs on Monday, he received a call from a mutual friend who informed him that Nicholson had passed away.
“I immediately went to the hospital and my friend said that at a little after midnight (12:10 hrs) she (Zenita) called him and asked that he take her to the hospital since he (the friend) would reach her home faster than a taxi,” Simpson recalled.
He added that his friend further related that when he reached at the woman’s D’Aguiar Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home, she and her boyfriend reportedly entered his vehicle.
According to Simpson, his friend said that while in the car, Nicholson confessed to ingesting 10 carbide tablets.
Simpson said that two Mondays ago, the woman had told him that her partner of one year had been beating her and that she was making arrangements to move out of their home.
However, she later informed him that her boyfriend had moved into a friend’s house and that she would be staying at the D’Aguiar property until renovation on her house in South Ruimveldt was finished.
“I was out of the country and on Thursday (October, 22), I heard that she and her boyfriend were getting back together and that they would be trying to work things out,” Simpson said.
According to SASOD Co-Chairman, members from the organization were shocked when they received the news of the woman’s death. “It has taken everyone by surprise.”
“She recently confided about the changes she was going through and we were supporting her but our support wasn’t enough. She was such a strong and confident person but she too gave into the situation,” Simpson noted.
In March 2014, Zenita was featured by Kaieteur News as a Special Person and described as a Woman of Courage.
Also, in the same month, the US Embassy presented Zenita with the embassy’s first ever International Woman of Courage Award in recognition of her exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for the protection of the human rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) persons.
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