Two mothers in court for neglecting children

A Claxton Bay mother was yesterday remanded into custody, while another from San Fernando was placed on a $3,000 bond when they both appeared in court for wilfully neglecting their young children. Yesterday Anjanie Ragoo, 40, of Union Village, Claxton Bay, and Fea Brown, 30, a mother of two of St Joseph Street, Mon Repos, appeared before San Fernando Fourth Court Magistrate Indar Jagroo charged with neglecting their children over the weekend. Both women pleaded guilty.

Ragoo, who was unrepresented, pleaded guilty to the charge that on August 11, at Union Village, St Margaret’s, she did willfully neglect or expose her ten-year-old son in a manner to cause him suffering or injury to health. The charge was laid by WPC Pitt. Brown was charged with willfully neglecting her 11-year-old son and five-year-old daughter on Sunday. She also pleaded guilty.

She was arrested and charged by PC Seerattan. Ragoo was remanded to the Women’s Prison pending a Probation Officer’s report. She will reappear in court on August 21 for sentencing. The woman also complained of abdominal cramps and headaches. She asked to be taken for medical examination which Jagroo ordered. Jagroo issued a strong warning to Brown who said she left her children home alone to attend a christening ten minutes away from her home.

“You cannot leave your children, you cannot do these things. It may seem a simple matter. In this world we cannot leave our children unattended even for a minute. Do not ever do it again,” he said. He placed Brown, who was represented by attorney Annalee Girwar, on a $3,000 bond to keep the peace for one year. He also ordered that she report to the Probation Officer’s department. In Ragoo’s matter, Police Prosecutor Ramdeo Sookdeo told the court that at 8 am on Saturday the 40-year-old left her son at home without supervision.

A report was later made to St Margaret’s Police Station. Around 1.40 am on Sunday police officers went to her home and found the tenyear- old alone. He was taken to Couva Health Facility for treatment and then to the police station. Officers later met Ragoo at Val’s Bar, St Margaret’s Junction. She was staggering and smelt of alcohol. When told of the report Ragoo said: “He know where the key dey for the house.” The child’s father told the magistrate his son is staying with an aunt.

He said he does not live with Ragoo “full-time.” In Brown’s matter, the prosecutor said around 12.10 am on Sunday officers received information and went to a wooden house with no steps and a doorway shielded by a piece of plywood. They knocked on the wood and Brown’s son answered. Officers asked if any adults were in the house, the child replied: “No, my little sister here and she sleeping.”

The girl then came to the doorway. They were both taken to the Mon Repos Police station. At 7.15 am Brown came to the station where she was told of the report. She said: “Officer I leave them children around 10.30 pm last night (Saturday) and went to a christening and when I come back home I hear the police gone with the children.”