Berbice parents in custody for alleged poisoning of 4 year old

The Police in Berbice are making headway in solving the circumstances that led to the hospitalisation of a 4-year-old toddler after reportedly consuming a poisonous substance. The child is in a critical condition at the hospital in Region Six - East Berbice Corentyne.

The injured child has been identified as 4-year-old Tinesha Shamshundar of Lot 1 No. 50 Village Corentyne. She was rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital on Sunday and later transferred to the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital for further treatment.

Initially, the child’s 23 year old mother had told police that she had brought home a bottle of poison which she concealed in a goat pen. She said that the child who was playing in the yard, found the bottle and consumed some of its contents.

As questions started to mount about how a four-year-old managed to uncover the bottle containing the poison, the parents came clean and told investigators that the family was with relatives at No. 70 village on the Corentyne where they had been consuming alcoholic beverages.

When the couple returned to their No. 50 village home, an argument ensued during which the child’s father reportedly dealt the mother several lashes about the body.

According to a police source, the mother then fed the toddler with the gramoxone which was stored in a goat pen in the back of their home. The child went to her father and told him what took place and they rushed her to the hospital.

Both parents have since been arrested and are in police custody assisting with the investigations.