Reporter
carisa.lee@cnc3.co.tt
Hannah Muthura’s family is claiming, through their attorney Steffon Boodooram, that their mother, Alana, was raped while in custody for her daughter’s murder at the Women’s Prison, Golden Grove, Arouca.
The matriarch died last week Friday while seeking treatment at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex after falling ill in prison.
Alana and her husband, Andrew Mathura, were arrested and charged with the murder of their daughter Hannah on October 16. Hannah was 18 at the time of her death.
Her remains were found buried in the backyard of the family’s Valsayn home in March this year after police received a tip-off from one of her siblings. She was last seen alive in June 2017.
Yesterday, the family’s attorney from Calexus Law Advocates and Company claimed Alana, 63, confided in one of her daughters while at hospital about her ordeal in prison.
But in an immediate response, Commissioner of Prisons Carlos Corraspe said there were no reports of such an incident happening.
The commissioner said on October 29, Alana was acting erratic and was taken to hospital. She died in the early hours of November 1.
“This has not been brought to my attention; this is the first time I am being told of this or hearing any of this. No reports at all came from the Women’s Prison with respect to such an allegation during the time of her incarceration,” the Prisons Commissioner shared.
Nevertheless, Corraspe said the incident would be investigated by the Prison Service.
A copy of Alana’s autopsy report, obtained by Guardian Media, showed she died from bilateral pulmonary thrombosis and deep vein thrombosis.
Meanwhile, the attorney for Andrew Mathura, 65, Tahira Davis Gibson-Sobers claimed her client was also ill with high blood pressure. She added that despite using medication, Hannah’s father’s condition has not improved, and he feared he may die in prison as he mourned the death of his wife.
Yesterday, one of the Mathura siblings sent an email to media houses asking for privacy.
“This sensationalisation (sic) has also led to excessive social media cyberbullying and anxiety that this consistent, severe re-traumatisation will happen again,” the sibling wrote.
The sibling said family members were facing profound grief and asked the media and, by extension, the public to please consider that a child is one of the survivors.
Forensic traumatologist Dr Hanif Benjamin sympathised with the siblings.
“What we have is a multiple layer in terms of a bizarre story in the first instance, trauma in that respect, then trauma in an investigation, then trauma in an arrest, then the death of a parent—that’s a lot for a person,” he said.
Child psychologist Sarah Subhan of Family Tree Psychological Services said that society has reacted with shock and concern about this matter, which is typical given the extent of the alleged circumstances. The family, however, has to deal with the aftermath.
“While this is a scary and mysterious situation, the welfare of the family members who live very real lives can be negatively affected by their unfiltered and sometimes judgemental remarks via social media and other domains,” she said.
She added that the extent of privacy the family has been used to may play a role in how they feel about the media’s reporting and how they interpret the situation.
Child psychotherapist Gregory Isaacs said few people under the burden of trauma will be given the time and space to heal. He said social media users are unforgiving and without compassion.
“This is probably a good time for all media houses to put in place a policy that guides the reporting and treatment of traumatic events, especially when children are involved,” he said.
Guardian Media understands that the family has not started to make funeral arrangements for Hannah or her mother, Alana.
