A warning from the children’s mother that he had 15 minutes to reach home or face regret is among the chilling details emerging from a tragic incident in Fyrish Village, Corentyne, Berbice, which has left a seven-year-old girl dead and her toddler brother recovering.
The children’s mother, 26-year-old Sarah Elizabeth Shivpersaud, is hospitalised in stable condition under police supervision, as investigations continue.
Ignite News spoke with the children’s father, Kirwayne Dabidyal, who acknowledged that the relationship had been troubled.
He admitted that the couple had frequent arguments and said he would often go to his mother’s home to cool down.
According to Dabidyal, Shivpersaud contacted him on the morning of the incident and urged him to return home urgently, warning that he would regret it if he did not arrive within 15 minutes. He said she later video-called him and showed the children lying motionless, which he initially believed meant they were asleep.
Dabidyal, who was accused of infidelity, denied the allegation, stating that a photo circulating online had been misinterpreted.
“That picture is with my sister. I wasn’t having an affair,” he told this publication.
He added that he is struggling to process the tragedy.
“I am grieving a lot right now. If I could have done anything different to save my children, I would,” he said.
Ignite News also spoke with the children’s grandmother, Lalita Brijlall, who revealed that her daughter and Dabidyal had been in a long-term relationship spanning more than eight years but had been experiencing ongoing difficulties.
She explained that tensions escalated after the husband left the home on Thursday and did not return in the days leading up to the incident.
She said she had spoken with Shivpersaud earlier on the morning of the incident, describing the conversation as seemingly normal.
“She told me she was going to cook pumpkin and rice. I asked her if she wanted me to come, and she said no. I told her I would come after church,” the grandmother recalled.
However, concern grew later in the day after relatives began seeing alarming messages circulating on social media. Brijlall said she immediately went to the house with a relative.
“When we reached, the door was padlocked from the outside. I opened the window and pulled the blind, and I saw them lying down, and she was lying there bleeding.”
She said she called out repeatedly before noticing a response from the toddler. With assistance, they forced entry into the home.
“The baby responded by raising his foot, so I started calling neighbours. When we went in, I tried to wake them, but only the baby responded,” Brijlall said.Brijlall indicated that her daughter had been facing emotional distress, including periods of separation.
An investigation is underway.
