BERBICE – In a shocking twist of courtroom drama that has ignited furious debate over the protection of domestic abuse victims, a Berbice housewife was slapped with a $60,000 fine for wasting the court’s time after she publicly recanted her allegations and refused to give evidence against her husband. The fine was imposed last week on Joanna Ramoutar by Magistrate Michelle Matthias at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court.
The Social Media Firestorm and the Arrest
The case first exploded into the public sphere back in June when Ramoutar used social media to claim she had endured “six years of abuse” at the hands of her husband, businessman Karran Sukhan. The mother of three posted a desperate plea, alleging authorities had failed to provide the support she needed to escape relentless physical, emotional, and mental torment that included being called “degrading” names.
The post quickly went viral, prompting widespread public outrage and condemnation of the police for their alleged inaction. The following day, police arrested Sukhan, a 25-year-old businessman. He was subsequently charged with assault causing actual bodily harm, use of threatening language, and threatening behaviour.
Sukhan was initially remanded, but later granted pre-trial liberty on $110,000 bail after his lawyer, Charlyn Artiga, successfully mitigated on his behalf.
The Recantation and the Fine
The case collapsed when it returned to court. Ramoutar announced that she no longer wished to give evidence and asked the Magistrate merely to issue her husband a warning, adding, “If he do anything I will get the police to lock him up.”
Recognizing the severe implications of this decision, a common challenge in domestic violence cases where victims often refuse to testify due to fear, financial dependence, or social pressure, Police Prosecutor Sherry Williams called on the court to impose a penalty for wasting the court’s time.
After verifying that Ramoutar was not being threatened or coerced, Magistrate Matthias imposed a $20,000 fine for each of the three charges, totaling $60,000. While Guyana’s Domestic Violence Act provides wide-ranging protection orders to victims, the successful prosecution of criminal charges often hinges on the victim’s testimony.
The court’s decision to impose a punitive fine highlights the dilemma between supporting victims and punishing the misuse of judicial resources, even in the context of alleged domestic abuse.
