‘System’ being blamed for apparent suicide of Vincentian woman in the UK

A local song bird, Judi “Bossgyal Judi” Cordice, who told SEARCHLIGHT back in December, 2020, that she had been raped at the age of seven and beaten by a relative throughout her teenage years, has taken her own life.

Cordice who migrated to Turkey a few years ago, and later ended up in the United Kingdom (UK), reportedly killed herself last Friday, December 13, 2024, after calling her boyfriend, soldier, Kimarie May, to tell him she was leaving the world behind.

Cordice is reported to have ended her life in her apartment shortly after the phone call to May, apparently triggered by the refusal of the UK government to grant her humanitarian protection- which would have allowed her to stay in the country as a refugee, or person with humanitarian protection.

In a Facebook live video over the weekend, May, originally from Sandy Bay, said various systems had failed Cordice, including in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), and Europe.

He said he met Cordice on August 22, 2023 when he was overseas on tour and they began communicating regularly, developing a relationship where she confided in him about her struggles.

“…she tell me her story…all the trauma she went through from back home, and when she was in Turkey,” May said, while adding that Cordice had done several live social media posts that highlighted her plight.

He said while some persons did not believe Cordice, she was telling the truth, and she claimed humanitarian protection after she left Turkey and journeyed to the UK.

May said Cordice told him she did not want to return to SVG because people were out for her and wanted to kill her. He said her request for humanitarian protection was denied, and she appealed several times but was turned down.

“She put together sufficient evidence for the appeal. I went to court with her last week…and they rejected her appeal saying she does not have sufficient evidence to back her case and everything, and it was just hard…,” May related. He said he encouraged Cordice to think positive but she kept failing at the humanitarian protection and it affected her “badly”.

“Last week Friday, we went to court. That was the last hearing she had. I went with her in Birmingham and she did the appeal … but … she got an email Friday…and she called me and said they rejected her again…”, May said.

“She called me and tell me she had enough, she been fighting all her life just for justice…she not going to take any shortcuts of getting married…and she said she doing it her way, and if she don’t get justice, she is leaving this earth because there is no justice on this earth for humanity…”.

May said that last Friday he was on base for a Christmas dinner when Cordice phoned and told him that was the last conversation they would have.

“She said she had enough, and she fed up fight, and she’s going. She told me not to come home, I must wait a few days, because they might wanna put the blame on me to say I did something to her…” May revealed.

The soldier said Cordice told him she loved him, but she had to go as she thinks she would be, “more free in the spirit world”.

May said he called the police as he was two hours away from Cordice, and the police later called him back to say they had met Cordice in her room dead, but did not give specifics.

“…all she wanted was just to be happy and have somebody to be there for her, care for her. I couldn’t believe what happened,” May told listeners of his live broadcast while adding, “the system failed her”.

He said Cordice had attempted to take her life before.

“I could remember she tried it before. She went through the appeal like twice, the second time she did it she did fail … she was going to hurt herself, but the good thing I was there to stop her and tried to talk her out of it…

He said it is hard for him to process the situation. The Vincentian is encouraging persons to check up on one another and be there for one another.

“She used to tell me … everybody looked down on her and saying she want she own way and all these things, but nobody knew what she was going through…”, May added.

“She kept saying that the only way she was going back to SVG was in casket.”

The military man said Cordice told him a few months ago that when she died, she wanted to be cremated and have her ashes thrown in the sea and he will see that her request is honoured.

Cordice’s December, 2020 article in SEARCHLIGHT can be read at Artiste tells story of sexual and physical abuse – Searchlight.