A young mother of two was on Thursday murdered by her husband who later attempted to end his life during at Ithaca, West Coast Berbice.

Detectives in West Berbice are probing the murder of a 21-year-old Vanessa Benjamin of Fransin Street, Ithaca, West Coast Berbice. According to information reaching the Guyana Chronicle, the incident took place after 17:00hrs when the suspect who she had separated from recently, turned up at the house they once shared.

This newspaper was told that once there an argument ensued between the two which ended up on the road where the man stabbed the woman until she fell to the ground. In a bid to escape the man who up to press time had not been identified, attempted to take his own life with the same knife he used to inflict the fatal stabs on the 21-year-old. One woman related to the press that she heard of the incident and went out to see what was happening and then found the woman on the roadway. A vehicle was summoned and both of the injured were taken to the hospital even as the police are continuing their investigation. In a chilling video recorded at the scene, the victims could be seen writhing in pain as the assailant laid on the ground with wounds to his left abdomen. The man and his mother-in-law are currently patients at the New Amsterdam Hospital. Police are investigating the incident.

Guyana Chronicle reported on Thursday efforts by a local NGO to help stem the tide of domestic violence. “What I’ve seen in the past three weeks I’ve actually managed in three months,” said activist and founder of United Bridge Builders Mission (UBBM), Bonita Montague addressing a recent spike in domestic violence cases. On Wednesday, she told this newspaper that the efforts of her organisation are being stretched thin, due to the numerous challenges that have arisen due to COVID-19-induced lockdown. The day before, the activist said, she received nine reports of domestic violence incidents in just three hours.

She described the situation as overwhelming, as the COVID-19 challenge has intensified previous challenges the organisation would have faced when it comes to transporting, housing and providing for persons fleeing abuse. On April 3, the government instituted emergency measures which placed citizens nationwide under curfew, and saw the closure of all non-essential services in a quest to curb the spread of the deadly pandemic. These measures have increased the time of enclosed contact with abusers and the abused, and in other cases, it has opened the door to potential abusers due to prolonged close contact. Montague has become a popular point of contact for persons in need of help over the years.

Additionally, amid a “horrifying global surge in domestic violence,” the United Nations called for a “cease fire” and “peace at home,” as vulnerable people sheltering in place amid the coronavirus pandemic are at the mercy of their tormentors, with everyone under enormous strain.

“Peace is not just the absence of war,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement, referring to his recent call for a halt to fighting around the world. “Many women under lockdown for COVID-19 face violence where they should be safest: in their own homes. Today I appeal for peace in homes around the world. I urge all governments to put women’s safety first as they respond to the pandemic.”

“Reports from countries in every region suggest that restrictions in movement, social isolation, coupled with increased social and economic pressures are leading to an increase in violence in the home,” the UN said in a separate statement outlining the scope of the problem.

Even before the pandemic, statistics showed that one in three women will experience violence during their lifetimes, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said. He added that the rate is two out of three women in Papua New Guinea, noting that those statistics don’t count countries with weak reporting systems. “My concern today is for all women across the world who are suffering even more now due to the extra economic and social stresses caused by a radical shift away from normal life,” Mohammed said. “This stress is leading to an increased danger of violence. It’s clear that when women and girls are ‘locked down’ in their homes with abusive partners, they are at much greater risk than ever before.”