Mother of suicide victim wants help

FOUR months after 33-year-old Raquel Madoo, a mother of one who chose death over a life of torture by drinking poison, her mother, Deomattee, is pleading for assistance.

Madoo drank Gramoxone on March 9, at her Felicity home, shortly after she was allegedly beaten by a relative, who is a member of the protective services.

Speaking to Newsday on Sunday, Deomattee said the maintenance matter is before the court, and since Madoo’s death, life has been challenging. “I have my grand-daughter here with me and to date her father has not been paying any money to help take care of her. I am now faced with her school booklist and she is in need of a lot of other things for which I need the support. It is getting harder every day.”

“Every time I go to court nothing is coming out of the matter. We now have a new date for August 7.

“I was told by an army personnel from where the child’s father works, they will pay the money for the father through the bank.

No one has contacted me to pay the child’s support. I don’t know what to do again.”

Deomattee said she has been threatened when she tries to get information.

She said to date the only money paid in court was a warrant fee of $1,250. In a letter written from her hospital bed, Madoo alleged she had been abused by a male relative for the entirety of their 17-year relationship.

She also alleged he had abused her 13-year-old daughter.

She wrote that she drank the poison and begged for assistance to get out of the abusive relationship. An investigation into allegations of misconduct against the soldier was ordered by Chief of Defence Staff Hayden Pritchard and an interim report showed Madoo had not reported any abuse.

On March 10, Madoo’s daughter was said to have been interviewed by Children’s Authority. When contacted yesterday, the authority’s chairman Hanif Benjamin said he could not give any details of the interview or the child’s case because it was a very sensitive matter.