Woman details six-year abuse by husband

Jun 13, 2025 News

…police hunt suspect after matter reported

Kaieteur News – An alleged abuser is currently on the run after his wife publicly revealed her ordeal and reported the matter to police.

Joanna Ramoutar, a mother of two, shared her harrowing story on her Facebook page on Thursday, detailing six years of abuse at the hands of her husband and seeking help and protection after escaping from her abusive home.

Speaking with Kaieteur News on Thursday, Commander of Region 6, Assistant Commissioner Shivpersaud Bacchus, confirmed that an investigation was launched. “We are investigating the report, the victim gave a statement. We are looking for the suspect; he’s on the run.”

Ramoutar sharing her marks of violence by her husband on her Facebook page

Bacchus also stated that Ramoutar was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital for medical treatment and a medical examination following her report.

She explained that she had endured this violence in silence for years, fearing for her life: “Out of fear for my life, I kept it hidden from everyone: my family, my friends, until last weekend, when my family finally helped me escape. With their support, I left the home I shared with my abuser, taking my two children with me, and filed a police report.”

Recalling the beginning of her ordeal, Ramoutar said, “In October 2018, I began a relationship with him. By March 2019, the abuse started. It began with slaps and then escalated to brutal, life-threatening violence. He kicked me in the stomach, stomped on my head, and beat me repeatedly. Over the years, the violence only worsened.”

She also recounted a recent attempt to leave the relationship that culminated in violence. “Last Friday, after I told him I wanted to leave, he attacked me again—this time with a knife and a cutlass. My body is now covered in scars and bruises. He even pulled a knife on our two-year-old son and threatened to poison and kill all of us,” Ramoutar revealed.

She further shared, “His own grandmother witnessed the abuse on multiple occasions. When she tried to intervene, he would say, ‘She’s my wife. I can do whatever I want to her,’ which only made things worse.”

The emotional toll of the abuse was also evident. Ramoutar described the constant emotional and mental degradation she endured, recalling that she was called degrading names and forced into obedience. “He told me I was worthless and forced me into obedience. I lived like a slave. I had to rub lotion on his body, put toothpaste on his toothbrush, and do everything exactly as he wanted, or I would face punishment.”

She detailed several specific incidents of abuse, including:

“One time, I fell asleep and didn’t hear him calling my phone. When I answered the second call, he was calling me to open the door. He kicked me in my stomach, and I hurt myself.”
“A few months after I gave birth, he made me roll on hot concrete.”
“He slapped me while I was holding our one-month-old baby, causing the child to hit his head.”
“He forced me to kneel with my hands in the air while he sat with his feet on my shoulders, pulling my hair and cuffing me.”
“He hit me with a hose, pelted me with plates, cups, phones, shoes—anything nearby if he was displeased.”
“If there was dust in his water or a speck of eggshell in his food, I was beaten.”
“He beat me for not finishing dinner before he got home, for asking him to stop cheating, or simply for not wanting to have sex.”
“He forced sex on me daily. When I resisted, I was physically and verbally assaulted.”
“He tied a wire around my neck, fastened it to a grill, and tried to pull me off a bed, threatening to kill me. I was pregnant at the time.”
“Sometimes he beat me while I was holding our newborn.”

Ramoutar expressed her ongoing fear, even after escaping. “Despite filing a report with the police five days ago, nothing has been done. He is currently hiding. I live in constant fear. My children and I cannot leave the house… I stayed quiet out of fear. Now I’m speaking up, and I’m still being silenced by neglect, blame, and inaction.”

She concluded with a plea for safety and justice: “I wasn’t just abused- I was tortured, controlled, and dehumanised. I am terrified that if action isn’t taken soon, he will make good on his threats. I fear for my life and for the lives of my two innocent children.”