Pregnant Canadian woman jailed in Trinidad – part 2

Part TWO

IN 2018, 22-year-old Canadian accounting student Sylvie Dzafic came to Trinidad.

A week later, Dzafic, then five months pregnant, was arrested along with her boyfriend after he was found with illegal narcotics at Piarco Airport.

Now her baby daughter – whom she was only allowed to hold for a few minutes after her birth – is living with Dzafic's mother in Canada.

Dzafic is out of remand on bail waiting for her case to be heard, and hoping desperately to be allowed to go home to her family.

She talked to
RYAN HAMILTON-DAVIS

A month before Sylvie Dzafic had her child, her mother, Vesna, arrived in TT.

Dzafic's friend Karen (not her real name) would help Vesna go to the bank to collect money she had borrowed from people in Canada, as well as taking her to Dzafic’s court hearings. Karen also connected them with a bailiff, who helped them with bail, for a fee. Vesna stayed with Karen's family while in Trinidad.

The cost of dealing with the trial, along with staying in the country, took a toll financially, but Vesna had to stay, if only until her daughter had the baby.

On May 31, 2018, Ciara Dzafic was born – under police guard. Dzafic’s waters broke while she was in remand and she was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Centre in handcuffs to deliver the baby.

Dzafic remembers being able to hold her daughter only for a moment, before nurses took her away. Ciara stayed at the hospital for a few hours – and then her grandmother took her to Canada.

Vesna also had to break some news to her daughter before they left. She was battling throat cancer.

“My mother is a very strong woman,” Dzafic said. “She has been through so much and experienced so many things. She didn’t want to tell me until after she got Ciara home safe, because she knew how it would affect me.”

One day, thinking about her troubles while she was still behind bars, she broke down.

“I just sat on a bench crying,” she said. “That was when I met Britney.”

Dzafic said Britney approached her and told her not to cry and they began talking. Britney told her not to worry, because “God is the boss.” She consoled her about her daughter and reminded her that no one could deprive her of being a mother.

Dzafic and Britney would comfort each other, pray together and share their experiences outside the prison walls. They even did each other’s hair.

A month after she gave birth, Dzafic was released on bail. She would not be reunited with her family, however. She was considered a flight risk – so her passport remained in the hands of the authorities.

She ended up in the care of the same people Vesna had stayed with. She began going to church with her first friend from prison, Karen, and Karen's relative who had stood bail for Dzafic, who were Seventh-Day Adventists. But there were tensions between the other two, who seemed to be competing to be closer to Dzafic.

Worse yet, things were getting even tighter financially, with Vesna’s medical bills adding up in Canada. Money became harder to come by, and the relationship between Karen, her relative and Dzafic became even more strained.

But with no identification, Dzafic could not find work. She depended on money from her mother, who sends funds when she can. She decided to seek out her friend Britney.

Britney had remained in remand for a while after Dzafic got out, but they eventually met up. Dzafic would help Britney around the house and with what little they had they managed to get an apartment with Britney's family in south Trinidad.

The stress of Dzafic's situation is compounded by being separated from her daughter. She described Ciara as a bubbly little child, now learning to talk.

“Every time I call, she asks me when I am coming home. I tell her I’ll be home soon.”

She said she had told the Canadian High Commission about her situation while she was in prison, but this did not bring any results.

"I am not getting help from anyone in TT except Britney. No NGO, or organisation or anything. Not even Vision on Mission (an NGO for former prisoners)."

With the spread of covid19 she is even more concerned about her mother’s health.

Dzafic has no idea how to get back home, except to continue with her case and get a verdict. Her next court date is on September 18.

In the meantime she continues to hope for her freedom.

“I miss my mother. I long for my daughter, and I miss my family and friends back in Canada. I just pray to God we can get through this.”

Sylvie Dzafic is grateful for the help readers have offered her since the first part of her story appeared, and says she is not in need of any further assistance.

PART ONE