THREE weeks after being allegedly burnt by her common-law husband, a 42-year-old woman is battling for her life at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Tavita Lall called “Natasha”, of Number 64 Village, East Berbice, Corentyne, is currently a patient at the Burn Care Unit of the GPHC. She is suffering burns to most parts of her body and has thus undergone at least two surgeries.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday, the victim’s mother, Bamela Lall, 60, said her daughter is in a critical condition and was given a 50/50 chance of survival.

“They do a surgery to take out both her breast and she have to do more surgeries. She ah punishes ah lot; yesterday meh heart pain to see her. Meh couldn’t even stand up when I come from hospital,” Bamela said.

“Natasha” works as a cleaner at the Tagore Memorial Secondary School and is a mother of four, ages 22, 19, 18 and 10. On the day in question, she was preparing dinner when her husband doused her with kerosene and set her alight.

Her mother explained that the day prior to the incident, a relative of Natasha’s
daughter-in-law fell ill and was hospitalised.

Natasha had left home to inquire of the wellbeing of the children of the sick relative and when she returned home, her husband began to verbally abuse her and even
accused her of cheating.

The argument between the two went on into the night.

On Friday, January 14, Natasha visited her mother and told her that she was fed up of the constant abuse and wanted to leave her husband.

“Wha meh nah do meh nah gon accept,” she told her mother. The woman collected something to cook from her mother and left to go home. It was while she was preparing dinner, her husband committed the act. It is alleged that, while she was on fire, her husband, Dipnarine Seelall, 49, locked her in the house and sat in the verandah. Neighbours, who heard her pleas for help, came to her rescue. They had to break the door to gain access to the injured woman.

Her husband escaped from the scene but police managed to apprehend him the said night and days later he was charged and remanded to prison for attempted murder.

Meanwhile, although Natasha’s mother is willing to visit her regularly, she is not able to do so due to financial constraints.
According to the mother, since the couple has been together two years ago, her daughter has suffered, and, when she decided to leave the abusive relationship, she was burnt from face to her toes. Persons desirous of assisting Natasha can contact her on telephone number
644-2035.