Woman doused with acid discharged from hospital, regains sight in one eye

Sep 27, 2025 News

Kaieteur News – Twenty-five-year-old Jilicia Leitch, who was doused with a corrosive substance on September 3, has been discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and is said to be recovering well.

Woman doused with acid discharged from hospital, regains sight in one eye

Jilicia Leitch recovering well from acid attack

Leitch and 26-year-old Nirmala Sukraj were attacked while walking along East Street to purchase lunch, when a man approached them and threw the liquid on them. Both women sustained injuries, with Leitch losing her sight and undergoing multiple surgeries during her treatment.

Speaking with Kaieteur News on Friday, Leitch confirmed she underwent three surgeries and was deemed stable enough to be discharged. “I’m getting discharged today. So far, my face and skin are healing well. The surgeries were a success and doctors said I am stable enough to go home,” she said.

Leitch revealed that she has regained vision in her left eye after doctors initially feared her cornea was permanently damaged. “When I first came to the hospital, the eye doctor told me the cornea was damaged and would need a transplant. But on Wednesday, when the doctor came back to see me, he said the cornea is no longer damaged, it had improved,” she said.

However, she stated that there is a low possibility that she can be able to see from both eyes again.

Despite her progress, Leitch expressed fear about returning home while the alleged attacker remains out on bail. “I want to go home but I’m frightened. I don’t really have anyone,” she said.

The accused, 32-year-old Keron Merin Daniels, was charged with Throwing Corrosive Fluid with Intent and appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty on September 18, where he was granted $500,000 bail. The decision drew sharp criticism from the Guyana Police Force, which described it as “gravely disappointing” given the rise in violent attacks against women.

In response, acting chief magistrate, Faith McGusty condemned what she called “inaccurate and misleading” police statements, noting that prosecutors had failed to present critical CCTV evidence despite claiming to possess it. While prosecutors initially asserted that video footage linked Daniels to the crime, his attorneys argued that the masked attacker could not be clearly identified.

As a result of the prosecution’s failure to produce the footage, bail was granted at $250,000 for each of the two charges Daniels faces. He is scheduled to return to court on October 22, 2025.

Daniels, of Uitvlugt Pasture, West Coast Demerara, turned himself in to police and reportedly confessed to the attack. Investigators believe the incident stemmed from a love triangle involving Daniels, Leitch, and his partner, which allegedly created tensions within his household earlier this year.

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acid, acid attack, corrosive substance, GPHC, Jilicia Leitch, Keron Merin Daniels

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