A Marabella woman who, in a rage, burnt the hands of her 14-year-old autistic relative was placed on $15,000 bond for three years yesterday. In 2008, Roxanne Williams, 28, burnt her relatives' hands because she drank a bottle of soft drink. San Fernando magistrate Alexander Prince, however, in passing sentence, knocked the State's Social Services Department for failing to intervene to assist the autistic child when the children's mother died.
Prince said the social services should have intervened when the mother died, lamenting that some institutions who care for autistic children refused to take the child into their care. "I hope this does not happen again...the social services need to be more vigilant when responding to these cases," he said. "We must show great care. This is a child who was lost to the world, who did not understand anything." Williams, a swimming instructor and mother of one, was bonded after Prince found her guilty of bodily harm. The magistrate said while he cannot condone what Williams has done, he did not believe that justice would be served if a custodial sentence was imposed.
Williams was arrested and charged by WPC Harrynarinesingh. Prince, however, said: "There is no licence on anyone to ill-treat any child whatever the circumstances." Defence attorney Sharmilla Rampaul said the task of caring for the relative brought "frustration" on Williams.
It was reported that in September 12, 2008, Williams was seen beating her relative after she drank the soft drink. She then lit the stove and put child's "whole hands" over the stove and burnt her.
The child received superficial burns to both hands. Williams, in her defence, testified that she was boiling water and had moved the pot to the back burner when the child came into the kitchen. She said she tried to put the child out, but they began fighting and when she slapped one of the girl's hand away, it was burnt on the stove.
