Teacher fears estranged husband will kill her

Dec 01, 2015 News

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– child placed in father’s custody prior to restraining order
Caught in the midst of a nasty custody battle and a restraining order, Sceon Beckles is living in fear that her estranged husband will keep his promise to murder her.
Beckles, 31, is saying that the police needs to do more to protect her and her two sons. She said the system has been failing her for years, eventually forcing her to go into hiding. Despite a protection order and countless reports to police stations, the stalking and death threats continue.
“I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle. I can’t even look out of my own window…I can’t even answer my phone. I don’t feel safe at work,” she told Kaieteur News.
After nine years of verbal and physical abuse, Beckles packed her clothes and left her husband, George Selman, a prison officer. She filed for divorce and had him served with a restraining order.
“The order is just a piece of paper. It doesn’t protect me. He still comes to my school and asks to speak with me. He still questions my students about if I am at work. He has a knife for me and he says he is going to use it and kill me,” she said.
The protection order has instructed that Selman should not be within 100 feet of Beckles and her children for a period of ten years. He was restrained from harassing her. However, Selman had to be barred by a policeman from assaulting her at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.
Selman’s lawyer had also stepped down from representing him after he disclosed that he will kill Beckles no matter the outcome of the case.
Beckles stated that whenever she went to a police station, the police taking the report would only listen to what she had to say and write it down. That was as far as it went. “The court can’t stop. They said a file was sent to the DPP for advice but that’s all I’m hearing…paperwork and more paperwork.”
The police file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecution for nearly two months now and no response has been given. The Social Protection Ministry, she said, has not offered any dependable advice to protect her and her sons. She stated that one of her sons for whom she was seeking custody, was taken away and given to her husband.
A senior official in the Ministry informed Kaieteur News that the child was returned to the care of the father prior to the protection order and the death threats; however, the case is being reviewed.
“We can remove the child from the environment depending on the findings of that re-evaluation,” the source said.
The official said that the decision to place the child in the father’s custody came out of a report that was presented to the Child Care and Protection Agency.
The source insisted that the Ministry has done all it could to help Beckles and it was up to her now to decide if she will accept their proposal. “Hiding won’t help her…This man has friends and he is very aggressive,” the source added.
Selman has visited the Kaieteur News and two other publications, complaining about his estranged wife. There were reports that he behaved quite aggressively when he was talking about the situation.
Beckles said the death threats began when she filed for divorce and moved out. She said he told her that he could buy a gun for $50,000 and kill her and the children and then himself. She said the threats have been escalating as the months go by.
“One time he showed up with a long knife and tell me that whenever he gets the chance he will take me down,” she related.
When questioned why she stayed in the abusive relationship for so long, Beckles stated that she felt that she owed it to him to stay because he took care of her. “I loved him and felt that he could change but I couldn’t change him. I wish I had paid more attention in the earlier days before we got married…
“I wish I noticed that he use to spark up in a flash whenever he gets angry,” she said.
In commemoration of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Red Thread made a call for the State and government institutions to take the issues of violence against women and children seriously and provide protection and service.
Joy Marcus, of Red Thread, recently stated that the policing and protective systems were noticeably inadequate and dysfunctional.
“We deserve and demand better,” she declared. She emphasized that victims were still being hassled and given the run around when they go to the police station to provide statements, and in some cases they are even given false information by some police.
“In one instance we know of one woman who was butted down the stairs of a police station by an abuser in front of the police, who took the man’s side instead of hers. It is clear that the systems that are supposed to be in place to support victims of domestic violence are broken and not functioning as they should be,” she stated.

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