PERSONS acquainted with 74-year-old widow Seeta Sookram known as ‘Padam’, who died in a recent blaze at her home, have alleged that her tragic death was the final chapter in a story of ill-treatment and neglect by individuals who should have been taking care of her.The septuagenarian had no child of her own but did care for many.
In her final days, she had been unable to leave the house and was seen naked on quite a few occasions locked in the house filled with filth.
It was reported that the persons caring for her had claimed that she was locked inside the house with a padlock on the door outside because of her physical incapability of securing herself inside at nights.
She was hardly given enough or proper food to eat and had been sleeping on a mattress which was soaked with urine and harboured worms.
A close relative of the woman, who resides overseas, said she had returned home last month after hearing reports that the former had been ill-treated and neglected.
The visitor said she had approached the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security to look into the complaints of ill-treatment and neglect and was awaiting a response when news of the tragedy reached her.
She said a criminal charge of neglect should be slapped against anyone found mistreating a vulnerable and older person, so that this type of behaviour would not go undetected and unpunished.
The charred remains of Sookram were discovered amidst the debris of her Wire Dam, Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice house, after a fire had destroyed the place around midnight last week Monday.

(By Clifford Stanley )