While a male relative remains in police custody, 15-year-old Alliyah Alexander will be laid to rest on Saturday.
Alexander, a student of the Couva West Secondary School, died on Tuesday, moments after she was reportedly beaten by the relative, who has admitted he was disciplining her. An autopsy performed at the Forensic Science Centre in St James revealed that her death was due to blunt force trauma injuries.
In a brief interview, her grandmother Elicia Gueverra confirmed that her funeral will be held at The Apostles’ Ministries in Longdenville, Chaguanas, at 1 pm on Saturday.
She said Alliyah’s mother, Vanessa Augustine, was holding up “stronger than expected.”
Augustine, who is six months pregnant, said she had taken her daughter to the male relative’s house at Rig Road, Claxton Bay, to be disciplined because she was not listening.
She described the problem she was having with her child as teenage boyfriend issues.
Augustine said she left Alliyah at the relative’s house for about 45 minutes and went to visit another relative a few houses down the street.
The male relative subsequently met her and they spoke for about 15 minutes.
He then went inside the house to get Alliyah and that’s when he called out to her.
Augustine recalled running into the house and seeing Alliyah vomiting on the ground. She was unconscious and they tried to resuscitate her.
They then took her to the Couva District Hospital but doctors could not revive her.
Initial reports had stated that Alliyah was beaten with a belt and fell down a flight of steps.
Augustine had said on Wednesday that she wanted the male relative to attend Alliyah’s funeral because she knows he is hurting and he loved Alliyah.
However, a police officer told Guardian Media yesterday that the male relative will not be allowed to attend the funeral. Investigations are continuing.
