Some domestic violence matters that made it to the courts

Apr 24, 2022 News

The Court Journal…

By Renay Sambach

Kaieteur News – Domestic violence is an age-old problem that continues to impact our society severely. While many people are convinced that only women are the victims in such matter, there are several instances that men are at the receiving end of the assault.

Kian Jabour, General Secretary of A New and United Guyana.

Today, I will highlight some matters that were brought before the court this year in which men were charged for assaulting women.
However, next week, I will highlight matters where women were the ones charged for assaulting men.
The first matter being highlighted this week is one in which Rawl DaCosta, an Essequibo man, was caught on camera brutalising his wife.
For the offence, DaCosta was jailed last Thursday for 18 months.
He appeared at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court located on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two, before Principal Magistrate, Esther Sam.
He did not waste any of the court’s time and pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 18 months behind bars by the magistrate.
DaCosta had brutalised the woman on April 11 at one of his relatives’ home in Charity, which is located on the Essequibo Coast.
Based on information received by this media house, the couple lived in Pomeroon but had travelled to Charity that day with their two children. Dacosta had reportedly started partying and began to dance with some women. It was alleged that his wife became annoyed and demanded to go home.

Rawl Dacosta.

Dacosta reportedly reacted angrily and assaulted her in public. She made a report to police and went to his relative’s home. Kaieteur News understands Dacosta was later arrested and released on $50,000 station bail. According to reports, the man was only charged after a video of the severe beating went viral on the various social media platforms.
In the video, Dacosta was seen stripping off the woman’s top (garment) leaving her half naked. He was also seen dragging the woman by her hair and even stomping her multiple times to the head. The brutality did not end there. He continued to drag her by the hair and pounded away on her face with combination punches. He was also seen banging her head against a post before the video ended.
On April 11 too, Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, granted a ‘lifetime’ restraining order against a Kitty businessman to ensure that he keeps 1,000 feet away from a woman who he allegedly assaulted.
The businessman, Davanand Singh, the owner of Brandz2Go stores, was charged on April 1, 2022 at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for the offences of Inflicting Grievous Bodily Harm and Threatening Language. He denied both of the charges and was placed on $400,000 bail. Singh is being represented by attorney-at-law Bernard DaSilva and the next hearing of the matter is set for May 6, 2022.

Davanand Singh.

The 25-year-old woman was not only successful in obtaining the restraining order against Singh but the court ordered that the woman be given her personal effects.
The woman and the businessman are known to each other.
In an earlier interview, the woman had expressed her dissatisfaction with how ranks at the police station had handled the matter. Those ranks are currently under investigation by the Force’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) for allegedly mishandling the case. The investigation, this publication understands, will also entail how the ranks went about seizing the businessman’s guns.

Divesh Ramjattan.

In March, Divesh Ramjattan, the son of Alliance For Change (AFC) member, Khemraj Ramjattan, appeared in court for allegedly assaulting a woman. The matter was, however, dismissed after the virtual complainant withdrew the charge on the premise that she had been granted a restraining order against the defendant.
The defendant, Divesh Ramjattan, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. He was being represented by his father, who is also a lawyer.
The younger Ramjattan denied the charge which alleges that on February 27, 2022 at Delph Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, he unlawfully assaulted a woman.
In February, Kian Jabour, General Secretary of A New and United Guyana, appeared before senior Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
He too was charged for assaulting a woman but denied the charge and was released on $20,000 bail.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News