RADHICA DE SILVA
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Child traumatologist Haniff Benjamin says the child who witnessed her parents making a video before they committed suicide needs urgent trauma therapy now.
Speaking to Guardian Media following the incident involving Steve Jugmohan and Sharleen Ramkissoon, Benjamin said, “I am offering my services to this child whether through the ministry or otherwise. I cannot imagine the horror that child will be going through at this point. My condolences to that child and the family. I cannot imagine that every time she closes her eyes, she is going to see this. And then you put a video out there that has now picked up an electronic footprint that will stay forever.”
He said the video tells of the desperation the couple was feeling before committing the act.
“It is unfortunate that no one caught the signs before the act and could not provide the level of help needed,” Benjamin said.
He called on the relatives to help the child.
“That child needs immediate trauma intervention. She needs immediate grief counselling to help process this. Children are quite resilient and once they receive the help, they will be OK. She will never forget this. This will live in her memory always but we have to help her process what happened. Children often blame themselves and we have to help her remove the blame,” Benjamin said.
He added, “We need to make a safe environment for her. She should not be in the house. She is not ready for that. The very clothes she was wearing should be thrown out. That could also be a trigger. If I was working with that child, that is what I would be doing to give her a level of safety of mind to be able to function.”
Benjamin also said existing support services were “woefully inadequate”, noting community mental health clinics should be available at all health centres.
He said currently, people facing depression could not access outpatient care unless they were enrolled in a medical health institution.
