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14 years later… Acid victim still seeking justice
When Abiola Clarke-Wilson flew to Guyana from Canada 22 years ago it was to marry the love
Abiola Clarke-Wilson
of her life, Neil Wilson. However, this day which was supposed to be the most joyous day of her life turned out tragically.
She had envisioned tying the knot before her family and friend in a church. But instead she got married at a hospital.
Wilson had travelled to Guyana on Boxing Day 2002 and commenced shopping the following morning for her big day. She recalled that on the evening of that day she noticed five persons, including her husband, arguing.
Wilson said, “Keisha Stanton and her mother Merlyn Ramsey came to 84 New Settlers Street Mocha, East Bank Demerara arguing with my husband at his back door. I was standing at the front door with Dale Kate talking about why they were arguing.”
But Keisha Stanton apparently begrudged Wilson and wanted to scar her permanently. With her mother as her biggest cheer leader, Stanton who had an enamel cup in her hand threw something on the bride to be.
According to Wilson, “My husband came running towards me yelling come Abby pulling me
Abiola Clarke-Wilson displaying some of the scars on her body.
inside closing the door…As I walk by the window I felt my skin burning… and I started screaming loudly, ‘Oh Lord, why me Lord”.
The woman recalled that she was rushed to the hospital by her husband. Wilson stated that she received first and second degree burns about her body. She was burnt to the right side face, including the eye. Burns to the right side neck; burns to the back extending from the shoulder to the pelvic region; burns to the anterior chest wall including the right side breast among others.
Her husband still went on with the wedding. The next morning he came with a pastor and his uncle to the hospital and they conducted the marriage rights. After his wife was discharged from the hospital he kept a ceremony in the Botanical Gardens for friends and family.
Wilson has now been listed as disabled and would have to answer questions from her two children about her appearance. She expressed, “My life has completely changed forever .Every day I have to live with these scars and answer questions from strangers… it’s like it just happen.”
Wilson recounted that after she flew back to Canada in January 14, 2003 she consulted with a local Attorney. The woman was later asked to attend court hearings in the Providence Magistrate’s Court. But for some reason, Wilson stressed, Stanton would fail to appear in court. While admitting that she was not able to attend all court sessions, she said that she would ask a friend in Guyana to do so.
“Please remember with my degrees of burns I couldn’t fly to every hearing because I would be in surgery or attending rehab. I am also raising two children.
When I couldn’t appear in court I would always asked a nurse friend to attend because she lived in Guyana,” she stated.
She is calling for the case to be reopened by police and justice be served. Wilson claimed that her attacker is still residing in Mocha and working at a Supermarket in the village.
Wilson cried, “But yet the police couldn’t find her for the hearing. After all, the entire bill is being paid by me for flying to Guyana while this criminal is walking the streets.”
Keisha Stanton, she added, has no respect for the law and is likely to hurt someone again. “My heart is very heavy thinking about the way I was treated by Guyana’s justice system. For them it was like an insect bite. I had no problem with these people so why should Keisha Stanton commit such an offence and walk around like she’s a hero,” Wilson ended.
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