Father of murdered child charged for damaging home of alleged killer

KINGSTOWN (CMC):

Police have charged the father of the one-year-old baby girl, whose throat was slit last Saturday, after he reportedly damaged the home where the alleged killer lives.

The man, Lenroy Robertson, appeared in the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, on a charge that on February 10, without lawful excuse, he damaged three glass windows, valued at EC$550 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) each, one aluminium and glass door, valued at EC$1,500, by chopping them with a cutlass with intent to damage the property of Anesta Alexander.

Robertson, who was repressed by counsel Ronald Marks at his arraignment, pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted EC$1,500 bail with one surety.

The matter has since been adjourned to February 21.

On Monday, police said a 22-year-old man was assisting their investigations into the death of the child.

The person, identified as a close relative of the child, was arrested Saturday night and the police are yet to issue a statement on the case, the second infanticide in St Vincent and the Grenadines in less than a year.

Initial reports were that the suspect reportedly said that the baby and her father were demon-possessed and must be killed to cleanse the village. The suspect is said to have climbed through a window when the child’s mother was in the shower and slit her throat.

The baby was rushed to a health facility, where she was pronounced dead.