St Vincent and the Grenadines: Woman charged with child abandonment

Authorities in St Vincent and the Grenadines have charged a woman with three counts of child abandonment. The woman aged 31, hails from Chateaubelair and was arrested by officers and charged on Sunday, 24^th September, according to a statement issued by the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF).

The woman has been identified as Shanique Lavia, who is said to have been employed as a domestic help. On Monday, during a scheduled appearance in family court, the woman pleaded guilty to all three counts.

The Charges are as follows:

• Did abandon a 13-year-old student in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to his health.
• Did abandon a 9-year-old student in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to his health.
• Did abandon a 2-year infant in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to his health.

According to preliminary reports, the offenses were committed on the 18^th of September, 2023. Court was adjourned until the 30^th October following the aforementioned plea by the defendant, pending a Social Enquiry Report.

The three children involved have been identified as a thirteen-year-old male child, a nine-year-old male child and a two-year-old male child.

When made public, the case sent shockwaves through the local community. It was hard for many to comprehend why a woman would take such a drastic step and endanger the safety of three children.

A major reason behind setting up a social enquiry report is to try and uncover the details of the case. The authorities want to establish a verifiable chain of events leading up to the offenses and understand the motivations behind the crime.

The mental and emotional state of the defendant and the victims is also uncertain and will likely play a major role in the nature of the Social Enquiry Report.

Many local citizens are shocked, yet intrigued by the events and are waiting with bated breaths to learn the actual details of what transpired.

To most, the case is quite a bewildering one and some citizens have found it hard to come to terms with the events, some of which have been made public by the authorities.