Murder victims’ families speak out…
(PART I )
By Editor-in-Chief, Editors & Reporters - SKNVibes.com
 |
|
Sergeant Clive Benjamin
|
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN the wake of 46 murders in the past 31 months and a number of others in previous years, many mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, children, girlfriends and boyfriends, as well as close relatives are still traumatised and continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones.
Commencing from today, and for the next two months, SKNVibes will be embarking on a programme of visitation to the bereaved families with the aim of highlighting their feelings, perception, how they are coping with the loss and what advice they have to offer, especially to those bent on criminal intent.
Our first visit was to a mother of three whose boyfriend and the children’s father was murdered in 2006.
The young woman spoke to SKNVibes on a condition of anonymity and stated that “up to now I still miss him because we were always in contact with each other”.
She explained that on many occasions when the family is engaged in conversations about the deceased, the children would cry, especially the eldest. “The boy says he still has dreams of his
 |
|
Leon Westerman
|
father.”
The mother said whenever something happens to any of her children they would be constantly reminded that they do not have a father. “Even though they are trying to forget what happened to him, they are always being reminded and my son is always asking who shot his father.”
“I am their mother and their father and I tell my children that even though he is not here, he is still watching over us. We normally go to his grave on his birthdays and Father’s Day, but this year’s Father’s Day we didn’t go because they said they did not want to. My son’s birthday is a day before his father’s, so that also reminds him of his father.”
.jpg) |
|
Derrick ‘Jake’ Gumbs Jr.
|
The woman, near to tears, recounted a particular incident that occurred on the day of her boyfriend’s death..
“The same day when he died, he told me to bring the children to the movies and he was supposed to meet us there, but when we went we did not see him.
So I decided to take the children to the spot where he limes and leave them there. I later decided to take them to the movies and then we went home. When I reached home, I got a call from my sister and she told me that she just saw his dead body.
“I told her ‘no, this can’t be because he was supposed to meet me and the children’. I called his sister, who said she would find out, and then I called his phone and an officer answered and told me that he was dead.
“His sister came for me and we all went down there. I saw him there; half of his body was in the drain and the other half was on the sidewalk. It was close to an alley…like he was about to run through the alley.”
The woman said on seeing the lifeless body, she started to cry and “I couldn’t even do anything because they were not allowing us
 |
|
Orlando ‘Scoop’ Williams
|
close to the body. We stayed until they collected the body. I couldn’t stop crying, so I had to go up the hospital and get an injection”.
The mother explained that not only she is traumatised but the children also, and she is seeking a way not to mention anything that reminds them of their father until they are all of age to fully understand what happened.
“I try not to talk about him, because each time we talk about it everybody starts to cry. So that is my thing, don’t talk about it. Maybe when the children reach an older age they might be able to talk about it.
I don’t want to make them cry every time we talk about it. I don’t like to see their reaction, so I try not to talk about it.”
Our second visit was to one of the sons of Police Sergeant Clive Benjamin who died in the line of duty in 2006.
This individual also requested the non-publication of his name and informed SKNVibes that he has somewhat gotten over the death of his father.
Reflecting on the day of the incident, the young man said, “I remember it like it was yesterday. ~~Adz:Left~~
It was six or seven in the morning when we received the call saying he had been shot. I didn’t believe it! I kept thinking it was wrong news and when we went to the hospital and saw him I was shaking and all I could think is that my dad is strong and he would pull through.”
The young man further said, “I cannot quite explain the way I felt seeing my dad in so much pain being rushed into the operating room trying to talk, but he couldn’t say much. However, he managed to tell my mom he loved her before he was gone.”
Though young, Sergeant Benjamin’s son has shown maturity in the circumstance under which his father lost his life at the hands of a criminal, who was also killed on the same day.
He said he was extremely hurt and sad at the time of his father’s demise, but he realised that Sergeant Clive Benjamin was doing something he loved…“Serving his country.”
