Battling with life after mommy was murdered
the six surviving children of Leolyn Sullivan
the six surviving children of Leolyn Sullivan
The late Leolyn Sullivan

HEADLINES of domestic violence murders are nothing new to our society as there continues to be an upsurge in these cases. Mothers are hacked, beaten or stabbed to death while others either commit suicide or are sent to jail. What’s left of the children, especially the minors? It is often the beginning of a living tale of hell. Separation from each other, the older ones having to drop out of school to fend for the younger ones, or to put their dreams on hold to be the bread winner for the family! These are stories too often recorded.

Many children are often abused in the care of relatives but more painstaking of all, is to grow without that mother’s love, that warm touch and tender care that only a mother can give to a child.

Telling their story of life after the gruesome murder of their mother, are the children of the late Leolyn Annetta Sullivan, who died after being stabbed multiple times by her reputed husband, Clarence Carter, on the 18th January 2016.

Sullivan was 34 years old at the time and had six children, the last two were fathered by Carter who was 50. The two children born during the union are now 10 and six years old. During the bloody attack, Carter also stabbed Leolyn’s eldest daughter, Shemeka Campbelle.

Almost three years after, the once closely-knit family is now broken up. The eldest child who is 25 years old lives with his uncle, while the two minors live with an aunt. The remaining three, ages 21, 19 and 16, live alone in the house where there mother was murdered. It has been nothing but a life of tears for the siblings, but according to 19-year-old Saskia Campbelle, the lessons of life that was instilled in them by their mother, is what has taken them through the roughest path their life has handed down to them.
Prior to her death, Leolyn used to sell at a beverage shop on the Mackenzie Market wharf, following her demise, the siblings had to battle to keep the business going to ensure that food was on the table. Initially, the younger siblings were in the care of the older ones, but being automatic parents was not working in the best interest of their welfare, so an aunt decided to take them.

Saskia said that it was rough to see their baby brother and sister separated from them but it had to be done to ensure their stability, since the older siblings were busy finishing school and earning at the same time. Trying to hold back the tears, Saskia said that life has been hard but they tried to keep it together for each other. “It has been difficult because the shop doesn’t always do well, for the children we normally collect public assistance for them but my aunt does the majority for them. Sometimes I don’t see them for a long time, all like when school was closed we didn’t see them in a long time,” she related adding, “Sometimes, you don’t want to come to the shop but you does have to come because that is the only way you would get to eat at the end of the day, because to face some customers every day, does be very difficult.”

They are now of the understanding that their mother is gone forever, and their father too, will be gone for many years. Saskia said that they would normally relate how much they dislike their father for what he did.

Before her mother’s death, she said, her siblings often lived in rivalry, but they had no choice to live in love and unity. “I thanked my mom for showing me how to live in love with my sisters, because before we use to always be at war and I thought we would have never agreed on things after her passing, but since then, we’ve learnt to live in love more and that is what has us standing up today

The eldest girl, Shemeka, first manned the shop but decided she wanted to further her studies, so Saskia decided that they will further their studies in turns, and she now operates the shop. She said she has other dreams of becoming a nurse or an entrepreneur, but for now her dreams have been put on hold.

the beverage shop now managed by the siblings

Sixteen-year- old Saffron said she completed her CSEC this year and that she wants to become a nurse. She is very appreciative of what her older sisters did and are doing, to ensure she was able to complete school and further her studies. She said that during her CSEC sittings, she cried many nights knowing that her mom was not there to support her. “It was really tough for me because I had to do it all alone, my SBA’s and stuff. Many nights I use to sit on my bed and cry but I would remember the words she would instil in us and that used to push me to do my SBA’s and study, and I did well because when I saw my results I didn’t expect that I would have done well, I thought I would have had to go back to school, but I still came out successful.”

Carter was sentenced to 19 years in prison and the children believe that justice was not served since their mother was killed premeditatedly, in cold blood. They related that they were not called to testify at the High Court, and only testified a few times at the Linden Magistrate’s Court. They were only able to follow the trial through the news. They will however continue to battle life’s challenges and be a support base for each other.

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