By Cherisse Sutton
Reporter - SKNVibes.com
(Basseterre; St. Kitts): With the recent awareness of domestic violence around St. Kitts and Nevis another incident has reared its ugly head.
Tessa Lee, a 20-year-old of Taylors Housing Project is nursing the wounds from a brutal attack upon her by her boyfriend.
She told SKNVibes.com that it isn't the first time he has abused her physically and has also threatened her.
Lee spoke to SKNVibes.com this morning from her home. She said that she has been involved with her 27-year-old partner for three years.
On Wednesday, Dec. 6, Lee was at the home of a friend at Temple Alley in Basseterre when her partner came there where an argument broke out.
Lee said that she told him the relationship was over.
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| Tessa Lee showing the stabs she received from her abusive partner. |
"He then got violent and started beating on me and stabbing me several times in my head, shoulder, and arm then turned and stabbed me in my eye," Lee said as she recollected the violent attack.
The man finally stopped and fled the scene. Lee and her friend then walked to the Basseterre Police Station which is a few blocks away, to make the report. She was transported to the hospital from the police station. Lee's assailant is presently being sought by the Police.
Lee's mother expressed her displeasure with the unfortunate circumstance that has occurred involving her daughter.
"She needs something to be done because it is ridiculous the way this man beats on my daughter," she said. "I don't want this kind of violence to happen to anyone else's daughter and I am going to tell everyone about him." ~~Adz:Right~~
Violence against women is an increasing problem in our society especially after the murder of Michelle Weekes-Benjamin, whose husband and brother-in-law have been charged with the crime.
Police and women activists along with citizens are growing concerned with the increase in the level of violence against women.
So, what can be done to help? Ingrid Charles-Gumbs, Director of Gender Affairs, said that battered women should seek help even though it may be hard to discuss their level of abuse with people they are not familiar with.
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| Tessa Lee showing the stabs she received from her abusive partner. |
"There are many support groups, preachers or other members in the churches they can contact and there is also Gender Affairs where we try to help these women being abused and assist them in getting protection orders," she said.
"The picture of domestic violence is bigger than we think; there are abusers in every area of our society. There are rich abusers, poor abusers, educated and uneducated abusers," she said. "It's all about power and imbalance between men and women."
Charles-Gumbs also said that women needed to 'STOP' tolerating this kind of abuse and that in this particular case with Lee she has done the right thing by reporting the matter.
"It's now up to the police to do their part and for the young lady to follow-through and not change her mind at the last minute of the case," she said.
Charles-Gumbs also said that sometimes boys grow up seeing their fathers abuse their mother and adopt the same behavior.
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| Tessa Lee showing the stabs she received from her abusive partner. |
"Sometimes girls who observe domestic violence are more likely to tolerate abusive partners as adults, thus subjecting another generation to the same sad dynamics," she said.
