A month after her common-law husband appeared in court for burning the hands of a three-year-old boy, Crystal Marchan has been charged with cruelty against a child.
A pregnant Marchan, 35, who now resides in Inverness, Princes Town, appeared in the San Fernando Magistrates Court after being charged by WPC Nicole St John of the Child Protection Unit yesterday. She appeared before Magistrate Nicholas Ali in the San Fernando Third Court in the company of her stepfather, a 64-year-old retiree.
Ali read the charge that on March 30 at her former home on Monty Street, Marabella, Marchan, who was responsible for the child, exposed him in a manner likely to cause suffering to his physical health, contrary to the Children’s Act, Section 4 (1). She also was charged for the same offence that allegedly occurred on December 18.
When asked for her plea, Marchan said: “Because I was in fear of my life, I did not call the police to get help for him.”
However, she then pleaded not guilty. Her stepfather told the court that Marchan had been living at his home for the past month. The prosecution led by Sgt Gangoo told the court that a name check did not show any criminal dealings, therefore they did not object to bail. However, they requested that she report to the Princes Town Police Station every Saturday as a condition. Ali granted Marchan $20,000 bail with the condition and adjourned the case to June 14.
On April 18, Marchan’s common-law husband Marcus John appeared before Magistrate Natalie Diop charged with assaulting the boy in a manner that was likely to cause him physical and emotional suffering. It was alleged that the boy’s hands were burnt when they were held over a stove. Months later, the boy was struck in the eye and hit with a ruler on his mouth when he was unable to write a letter of the alphabet.
John is scheduled to return to court on May 22.