“Pou ena kitsoz pou arive, ki sa pou ena konsekans apre. Mo pena nanien a perd”. This was the threat made by a 34-year-old salesman to his wife on the evening of Thursday 6 April. The 34-year-old man repeatedly tried to attack his 33-year-old wife with a bread knife. She tried to dodge the knife but was stabbed in the left side and left thigh. The suspect was arrested on a provisional charge of attempted murder.
It was around 3am on Friday 7 April that a statement was taken for the woman working as a Human Resource Officer by a female police sergeant assigned to the Vacoas police station. The woman, who lives in the Vacoas area, explained that she has been married to her husband for six years. From this union, a 3 year old daughter was born. Since November of last year she has reported conflicts in her marriage. She was often the victim of domestic violence.
On the evening of Thursday 6 April her husband came home at around 10pm in a state of drunkenness. He locked her in the toilet to have a discussion with her. He was to tell her, “Pou ena kitsoz pou arive, ki sa pou ena konsekans apre. Mo pena nanien a perd”. After her husband left, she went out into the living room. However, he came back from the kitchen armed with a bread knife in his right hand.
This time he had to tell her, “mo pou pik twa”. With all her strength, she tried to protect herself with a pillow. Afterwards, he went out on the balcony to talk to his wife’s mother who lives at the same address. In the meantime the thirty-year-old called her mother-in-law to inform her of the situation. At the same time her husband, who had overheard her on the phone, became very angry and tried to hit her with the knife.
The victim explained that she tried to avoid the blows, but nevertheless she was hit on her left side and left thigh. She ran out of her house to escape her husband. A neighbour who found her took her to the Victoria Hospital in Candos. After receiving treatment she was admitted to the ward.
The salesman was apprehended by police officers from the Vacoas police station and the Emergency Response Service at 3am on Friday 7 April. He was placed in a cell at the Vacoas detention centre. He was subsequently brought before the Curepipe Magistrates’ Court on a provisional charge of murder. He was taken back to the police cell.
