By Rehana Ahamad

THE nude remains of a 53-year-old abuse victim were discovered in her bed last Friday, just days after she was reportedly brutally beaten by a close female relative. Dead is Marilyn Singh, well-known in her community as Jean. The woman lived with her brother, along with his stepdaughter and his son in South Cummings Lodge.
“She was a very nice, very helpful lady. She used to do a lot for people, but she used to also suffer a lot at home, and brother them never used to do anything about it,” neighbour Madonna Ghanie related.

The young woman explained that up until her demise, Singh had been the victim of perpetual violence meted out to her by her “step-niece.”
According to Ghanie, Singh was brutally beaten by the relative just days before she was found dead. “The last time it happened, it was so bad that her teeth came through her chin,” Ghanie told this publication. A photograph showing the woman’s wounds was also submitted to this newspaper.
“With the permission of her sisters from Trinidad, I helped her with her court process and I took her to the hospital and so,” Ghanie explained.
The alleged abuser, the niece, had also moved out of the home she shared with her step-father and the now dead woman. As the matter engaged the courts, Ghanie said she too was subjected to threats from Singh’s niece. “The girl threatened to jook me and jook my sister. She said that she was going to send man to deal with my mother and so,” Ghanie recalled.

Two days after the threats, Singh’s lifeless body was discovered and neighbours were sure it was foul play. “We knew it had to be something, especially because she was found naked, but the police who came didn’t do any proper investigation. They didn’t check for prints or anything, they just called the hearse and that was it. The officer said there was no sign of violence or anything,” Ghanie lamented. She noted that a post-mortem was initially scheduled for Monday, but after bruises were found by the mortician, arrangements were made for a thorough investigation to be done.

“I overheard the police telling the mortician on Monday that the woman does drink and smoke and so, but that is not true,” Ghanie related. The young woman said that as she continued to look on, she observed as the mortician noticed something and sent to call for his supervisor. “After the supervisor looked, he call in a corner, away from the policeman and asked me wha I think happened, so I told him, and he said that the CID will have to take over the matter; that was when they start taking fingerprints and so,” Ghanie explained. “Right now, the girl [niece’s] husband in the lock-up,” Ghanie said.  Meanwhile, a high-ranking member of the Guyana Police Force has confirmed that the incident is being treated as a homicide, and that a suspect is currently in custody assisting with the investigation.