Woman charged with murdering son to undergo psychiatric evaluation
Brenda Ferreira, the 26year-old mother who is accused of fatally stabbing her three-year-old son over the weekend was yesterday arraigned over his murder and is due to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Ferreira was not represented by an attorney when she appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning.
She was not required to plead to the indictable charge and was remanded to prison until September 12.
Ramdeo, called ‘Papa,’ of Lot 585 15th Street, Foulis, Enmore, was stabbed twice during the attack by his mother, which took place around 9.45 am on Saturday at their home.
He was later rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed around 1 pm while receiving medical treatment.
An autopsy performed on Monday revealed that Ramdeo died of a stab wound to the heart.
Brenda was taken into custody following the incident.
She had reportedly told the police that she had a dream that she was going to die on Saturday and she didn’t want to leave Ramdeo behind since he was her favourite child.
Ramdeo’s four-year-old brother, who witnessed the attack, managed to escape and alerted a relative of his father, Shamlall Mahadeo, who informed neighbours and they called the police.
Following Ramdeo’s death, villagers had voiced their belief that the child could have been saved if the authorities had taken concerns about the conditions in which the children were being raised more seriously.
A relative had told Stabroek News that she personally called the Child Care and Protection Agency and reported the situation. She had said based on what she learnt, officials from the agency turned up but found that the house was tightly secured and they never returned.
Head of the agency, Ann Greene had told Stabroek News that a review of records was conducted which revealed that the matter was reported on December 18th last year.
The following day, Greene said, an officer visited the house but it was tightly secured.
She said that the officer related to her that he returned on two other occasions: namely on January 18th and in May this year and then, too, no one was present at the house.
Greene had stressed the need for community intervention in such cases and said that while it has been established that the officer did what was required, she is still engaged in talks with her officers on how they can improve their response in the future.
In terms of the surviving child, who is presently in the care of a relative, Greene noted the agency will intervene and ensure that he is being kept in a safe environment by conducting visits.