Sister of Chaguanas attack victim on suspect’s death: I forgive him

News

The sister of Christine Chadee, the 32-year-old mother fighting for her life in the hospital after a violent attack on December 27, expressed sadness after the death of the suspected attacker, Arnold Ganesh.

She recalled the moment she learned of his passing: "I started to cry when I heard he passed. It was sad. I would have rather he had gone to jail and paid for what he did."

"I forgive him and pray that God has mercy on his soul. It took a lot of strength to forgive him, but I want him to go where he needs to go," the sister told Newsday by phone on January 1.

As of the afternoon of January 1, Chadee, who was beaten with a piece of iron at the family's home on Dalphus Avenue in Palmiste, Chaguanas, remained in the ICU at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.

Ganesh, 44, Chadee's estranged common-law husband, is believed to have died by suicide.

>

Minutes after the attack, he went missing, and his body was found in a forested area in the community off Thompson Road, ending a search that had stretched for several days.

The sister, who asked not to be named, added that Chadee was still unconscious in an induced coma and doctors continued to monitor her condition.

"She showed movement with her legs today, but there is no telling what the brain will do. The brain is swollen. It is up to how the brain heals and God," she explained.

Despite the tragedy, she focused on her sister's recovery, saying, "We know she will bounce back."

Chadee had moved out and been staying with a relative in Freeport for the past few months.

Their 10-year-old son spent the holidays with Ganesh in Palmiste.

The attack occurred when Chadee went to collect the child, who was playing in the front yard.

After a brief interaction inside the house, Ganesh walked out the back door, took the child to a nearby relative's home, and instructed him not to return for at least ten minutes.

Ganesh then walked away from the area, disappearing into the sparsely populated street.

>

Despite an extensive search, it was not until December 31 that his body was discovered.

"The child is strong, and he would only cry if he sees others cry. He is doing well so far. I thank God that the child was not killed also. That child is my life," Chadee's sister said.

One of Ganesh's relatives said what he did was wrong, adding that the couple had shared a toxic relationship for 11 years, a view shared by several villagers, including Chadee's relatives.

The NGO Hunters Search and Rescue Team, led by Vallence Rambharat and relatives, were part of the search team.