The man who invaded the Reliance
Cemetery,
exhumed the body of a 75-year-old female and
committed an act of necrophilia (a sexual act with
the dead body), pleaded guilty when he appeared at
the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court before
Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo.
The man, Roopram Bacchus called ‘Toe Toe’, of
Lot 25 Adelphi Village, East Canje, Berbice, told
the court that he is 20 years old and is a garbage
collector.
Man found lying on corpse -
Tuesday, June 28, 2005 George-corpse-stolen
The state’s case which was presented by
Prosecutor Inspector Satrohan Dayaram showed that
Bacchus was before the court on two charges which
stated that between Friday 5th and Saturday 6th
March at the Reliance cemetery in Canje he
committed an indecent act on the woman’s corpse.
He was not required to plead to that charge
To the other charge, which stated that between the
same days and at the same place he exhumed the
corpse, the accused pleaded guilty.
On Phagwah day, Monday, March 1st, the woman had
taken ill with a heart condition and was rushed to
the New Amsterdam hospital where she succumbed.
Prosecutor Dayaram told the court that the woman
was buried on Friday, 5th March, in a complete
tomb, and that the accused sometime between the
dates mentioned broke open the tomb took out the
coffin and the body, before he committed an
indecent act on the corpse. He then took away
money and jewellery that was left in the coffin by
relatives.
The matter was reported and acting on information
the accused was arrested and charged.
When asked what he had to say, the defendant said
that he was guilty and told the court that it was
the first time he was “ever involved in police
story”.
He said that he is remorseful for what he did and
begged for a chance. The man, who lives alone,
told the court that he has a nerve problem that
really bothers him and whenever he drinks it (the
nerve problem) acts up. He said ruefully that he
should have listened to his neighbours who always
told him to stop drinking, but emphasized that he
would do so now. He then begged the magistrate to
put him on bail.
A seemingly perplexed magistrate Nagamootoo
wanting to be certain of the procedings before she
enquired of Prosecutor Dayaram what the matter
really was, asking if the defendant has a
psychological problem, because something seemed to
be wrong.
The prosecutor then told the court that according
to advice he had received, the defendant was
examined on Monday at the Fort Canje Psychiatric
Hospital, and was deemed to be ‘fit and sane’.
The magistrate not satisfied with the answer asked
to see the report before she could pronounce
sentence. However, according to Corporal
Jaigopaul the doctor did not issue the report.
The magistrate then asked Inspector Dayaram to
make sure the report is collected and be presented
for the next court date, which is March 17that the
Reliance Magistrate’s Court where the matter has
been transferred to, along with the other matter
of committing an indecent act on a corpse.
As Bacchus was being lead away from the court he
was heard begging the relatives of the deceased,
who had gathered in large numbers at the court, to
“help meh out, see wha’ yuh could do for meh
and give me a chance”.
The dead woman’s son, an employee at the Rose
Hall Estate, had told investigators that he
received a call that someone had broken into his
mother’s tomb. Whoever had entered the tomb
removed the entire top, took out the casket and
then removed the body.
When persons arrived at the tomb, the corpse was
naked, the legs sprawled and from all reports, the
person or persons had committed an indecent act.
There was what appeared to be semen in the
corpse’s vaginal area. There were also bite
marks on the body and the legs looked like they
were broken. The casket and the woman’s clothing
were also burnt.
Acting on a report that Bacchus during the night
had made a purchase at a shop close by with two US
dollars, citizens effected an arrest and delivered
the man to the police station. However, that
was not before he was dealt a sound thrashing.
Bacchus who initially denied knowing anything
about what was happening later confessed to the
crime.
The dead woman was reburied in another casket in
the same tomb, which was later repaired.
Relatives, some of whom had travelled from
overseas, said that the man was at the funeral and
had even helped with the final rites of the dead.
They are happy that justice would be served and
hoped he gets the full penalty. They are grateful
to the residents who helped to capture the
perpetrator.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010