Burnt Charity teen relates her story

By Indrawattie Natram

WAKING up to immense pain every morning has now become a norm for 17-year-old Susan Culpepper who recently suffered at the hands of her abusive boyfriend. The teenager who is still trying to get a grip on what had happened that evening, related to the Pepperpot Magazine that life for her will never be the same.

Almost a month ago, Culpepper was set alight by her ex-boyfriend while at her present boyfriend’s home in Charity Housing Scheme, Region Two. After suffering from an abusive relationship, she had decided to move on when jealousy stepped in and her ex decided to disfigure her by setting her on fire.

The teenager had suffered tremendously at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, Kyle Goddette. At one point she recalled that Goddette burned her clothes and cut her face with a bottle out of jealousy.

Goddette has been granted bail and is presently walking free in society while the teenager is being treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Burns Care Unit.
Her condition has been listed as unstable and according to her mother, Cheryl Benn, her daughter is like a toddler again.

“It hurts me to see her like this. I have to feed her like a baby, bathe her and do everything because she still suffers from intense pains in her feet,” the mother related.
Luckily, the teen will be transferred to a medical institution in the United States of America where she will undergo major surgery. The entire teen’s body is currently disfigured due to burns.

A CHANGE
Culpepper is hoping that her scars will eventually disappear after her plastic surgery and that she will be able to live a normal life physically. She, however, said that the emotional scars will forever remain with her even after the surgery.
“Right now my daughter is very depressed, there are times when she would say, ‘Mommy I just feel like giving up’,” Culpepper’s mother said.

The woman added that 2018 has been a dark year for them as she is now unemployed because she now has to take care of her daughter. The mother said that she used to sell crabs for a living but now she cannot go to catch them because she is currently looking after her daughter.

She stated that although they are poor she received support from family members and she makes do with what is provided.
The family has alleged that Goddette is still making threats stating that he is not finished as yet with them. Only recently he reportedly threatened one of Culpepper’s sisters.
The family is very dissatisfied with the manner in which the case is unfolding in the court system and they are of the opinion that Goddette should have been remanded.

“I want this Goddette to be in jail for what he has done to my daughter. He was never married to my daughter, he was just in a relationship, and he had no right to destroy my daughter,” Culpepper’s mother said.
The family is, however, hoping that there will be a transformation in the teen’s life and that she can live a normal life while the Justice system deals with the accused.

Kyle Goddette, a labourer of Charity Housing Scheme was slapped with two charges on February 9. It was alleged that on February 3 he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Susan Culpepper with intent to commit murder.
The other charge read to him was that on February 4, he also unlawfully escaped from police custody at the Charity Police Station.

After pleading not guilty, $500,000 bail was granted for the attempted murder charge and $200,000 for unlawfully escaping police custody.
The tragic incident occurred on February 3, around 03:00 hours at Lot 702 Charity Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast.

Reports are that the girl’s current boyfriend was at home with Susanna Culpepper when they smelled smoke. They immediately got up, at which point they noticed the bed was on fire. They ran to the western door of the house where they saw the suspect before he fled the scene. The now boyfriend raised an alarm and neighbours quickly gathered, formed a bucket brigade and extinguished the fire.