Woman wants justice for 17-year-old son

One Barrouallie woman is calling for justice for 17-year-old son who back in December 2011 was the victim of a savage cutlass attack.{{more}}

But after three months, Christine Joseph told SEARCHLIGHT that the perpetrator of the horrific crime is yet to be brought to justice.

According to Joseph, the December 3rd altercation between her son Chrisbert Joseph and another youth from the community stemmed from the theft of her son’s mobile phone back in October 2011.

Joseph explained that the youth took the phone and had it in his possession for about three days before the Barrouallie police intervened.

She said that the young man was only ordered to return the phone to her son after he (her son) provided to the police the receipt, proving that he had purchased the phone.

The two again clashed about two weeks after the mobile phone incident, Joseph explained.

This time, however, the youth then struck her son with the side of a cutlass, Joseph told SEARCHLIGHT, and again, although police were summoned, no arrest was made or charges brought against the young man.

“I said Chris, let me take you to the police because this incident was serious,” Joseph said, adding that her son declined the offer, saying that he did not want to go because it appeared as though his attacker was closely linked to the police.

On December 3, things took a turn for the worse Joseph said.

That was when she claims her son was the victim of a cutlass attack at the hands of the youth.

She explained that her son and some of his friends were liming at ‘Bottle and Glass’ in Barrouallie, where an event was taking place.

Joseph said that her son related that he and his friends subsequently went to another area known as ‘Long Wall’, where they heard an accident had taken place.

That was when her son saw the youth approaching him with a cutlass.

She said her son said that he threw the bottle of beer he was drinking at the guy after he (the attacker) threatened to kill him.

The bottle missed and the attacker came from behind and started chopping the 17-year-old youth, his mother said.

Chrisbert received cuts to the head and, according to his mother, was told by doctors that he was lucky to be alive.

She said that her son spent numerous days at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital recovering.

One of her son’s friends took off in pursuit and wounded the assailant, and now that was the only matter that has come out of the incident.

“I have seen pettier things than this happen in Barrouallie and done go court, but nothing has been done,” Joseph contended.

She said that when she inquired she was told that the matter was in the hands of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Since then, a number of threats have been issued against her son by his attacker, Joseph said.

“And the boy ah get frustrated,” she said, adding that he said that he did not know when and if the youth will return to inflict more harm.

She said that the Police in Barrouallie are not saying anything and that she has since spoken to the Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, and that she also went to the Public Relations Department at the Central Police Station in Kingstown and they have all promised to look into the matter.

“We don’t know what else to do,” Joseph said, adding that she decided to come to the media as a last resort.

She says that her son is a good person and that he is not a member of any gang nor does he have a criminal record. (DD)