As 2022 comes to a close, the nation is reeling from the occurrence of another domestic homicide in less than 24 hours.
The community of Morne Prosper is in a state of mourning following the killing of 47-year-old Avanelle Charles, the 18th homicide in Dominica for 2022.
Reports indicate that about 3:00 a.m. on December 31, 2022, Charles and her long-time boyfriend, Marshall JeanJacques, were involved in an argument when she was killed.
At the time of the incident, the mother of seven, who is a market vendor, was preparing to go to the market to sell her produce.
Family members of the deceased and residents of Morne Prosper revealed that the couple had a long history of domestic abuse.
Meanwhile, the police say they are in search of the suspect who fled the scene after the incident.
The previous day – December 30, 2022, at about 11:10 a.m – police officers responded to a report of domestic violence between a woman and her boyfriend and on arrival at number 4 Jewels Lane in Goodwill, the officers found the lifeless body of 35-year-old Velma Valmond of Sinekou, the Kalinago Territory on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood with a severe laceration across her neck, according to Police Inspector, Fixton Henderson.
He said that Valmond, a medical doctor, was pronounced dead at the scene while her boyfriend, Alexan Alexander, 32 years old from Mahaut, was also found on the bathroom floor, frothing from his mouth, and in a state of distress. He was transported to the Accident and Emergency Department of the Dominica China Friendship Hospital and is in a stable condition.
The police officer also revealed that the deceased’s 18-year old daughter is also nursing injuries which were apparently sustained during the same incident and is also in a stable condition at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital.
Dominica News Online (DNO) will continue to follow this story and report any development once it becomes available.
Violence against women!
Even hurting the generation to come.
Taking days for responsible officials to join the public outcry on grave issues of this nature is telling on us as a society!
We may have to learn to cultivate the attributes of looking out for our neighbors genuinely and not just when we want something……I don’t know.
We may just begin to see a dramatic reduction of the female population on island…….degeneration in population…..we small already.
Community development needs a strong boost.
And de generation left behind deserves genuine love……. they shouldn’t be left behind it only adds to the issues over time…. like a generational curse.
Love hope and blessings to the children
Some young female professionals will see this as a sort of reinforcement to escape what some may conclude is a rapidly decaying society
Le chauvinism a la Dominica reigns supreme. Our PM has not made a statement, Barbie et al the women, as Parliamentary representatives are on mute. The gender affairs in name only in the reset is currently on pause. Come on, the people need to hear justice and feel it. We voted and deserve better. We have daughters and women who voted for depth of actions and not silence. A few superficial trinkets around town ain’t fooling anymore. 2 educated, ambitious and motivated strong resilient women are dead at the hands of men and that’s how we start 2023. We need answers and reassurance. Get the advisory team to earn their remittances.
What has the PM got to do with what happened, jacka.s? Every time something happens, they blame the PM. THE POLICE ARE THE ONES HANDLING THE MATTER AND THAT IS IT, case closed. Tomorrow when they fighting their women for sex, blame Skerrit.
Sad thing is we have a prime minister and First Lady who is also a cabinet member and they cannot say a word in public about that.
We also have a government and government ministers cannot say a word.
We have big men abusing little under age girls and rapist all over the country and our prime minister, his wife and other government ministers cannot say a word. Why? What are they hiding from?
She might be First but a Lady she isn’t. No lady would marry something like that.
Why don’t you shut your mouth up in 2023, your bum? Like you so care. Your hypocrite.
You are by far the biggest bum on here. Every time this subject comes for discussion you go completely nuts. I wonder why? Could it be that YOU are one of these nasty bastards?
Sometimes people get involved with the wrong person!
Perhaps she never had a reason to believe he could kill her.
Seven children involved speaks volumes, he probably was doing something good for her.
Now, I don’t think you should throw her under the bus: I do believe that when he began abusing her; she should have walked away from the relationship.
Man, go get a life in 2023, your bum.
If those women were related to me u would see what time it is. The person life is not yours to take regardless of the circumstance, walk away don’t take someone’s life…this vexes me man stupes. Dominican men seem to be becoming more sick by second…don’t do but let me do. They want to have all kinds of cockroaches on d side but still want to be in control of the goddess in their homes…my women leave those dogs when u realise they have cockroach vibes going on. A side chick is nothing more than a desperate cockroach.
This kind of news is very disturbing especially when you are hearing the names of our leaders involved in all kinds of adulterous and ungodly behaviors and, instead of rebuking them the church is blessing them and referring to them as people of integrity.
I pray for all the grieving families on all sides and my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased
I believe that justice should be swift in murder cases. When these cases are long and drawn out in the courts of law the family of the deceased are victimised twice. Delayed justice is injustice.
It is said that this beautiful soul was constantly abused for a long time. It behooves us (government) to put strategies, policies and mechanisms in place to protect these vulnerable ladies. Domestic victim shelters, a domestic abuse victim department in the police service should be created NOW.
The country has failed these victims as it has failed to put mechanisms in place for these eventualities. We can’t save all but we can provide much better protection to greatly decrease the number of victims before they meet their demise.
It’s as though Dominica needs divine intervention to stem the flow of bloodshed, violence, natural and adversity.
Nothing is going well for the country since the mockery of the most recent national election. Homicides climbing, gasoline shortage sickening , food prices rising, unemployment worsening, and the fierce political partisanship continues to exacerbate.
There were times in Dominica when three or four homicides were alarming. Although the homicide rate in Dominica is lower than some of the sister territories, it’s unacceptably high when compared with recent history of criminality in the country.
However, just remember this. It is always darkest just before the Day dawneth.
What a sad way for us as a small country to end 2022. My deepest condolences to the family and loved ones.
Let me on this note call on the first couple, Prime Minister Honorable Roosevelt Skerrit and his wife Hon Melissa Skerrit, to host a family seminar or a family program on Kairie or DBS on family issues with emphasis on what is really causing these kinds of gruesome murders in the family. I suggest it should be a calling program so people could share their concerns. I also suggest that Senator Raymond Blackmore, Hon Denise Charles, Hon Vince Henderson and house speaker Hon Joseph Isaac should be part of the panel. Let’s hope for the sake of Dominica these Hon men and woman could start this program in early 2023, so they could give solutions that will help solve this problem.
…and what exactly might be honourable about these people?
Putting the fox in charge of the fowl house comes to mind.
Dominica is indeed the homicide capital of the Caribbean!
Something is wrong when there are more homicides in a small place like that than the months in the year!
I cannot imagine in a small place such as Dominica where just about every native born on the island; mingles with each other; practically knows everyone by name can be so vicious, with some sort of animalistic mentality, which causes them to kill as wild animals without regards for human life.
What is the cause of all of these murders?
It boils down to a few things one may suggest: anger cause by poverty, lack of productivity, “nothing to do;” inebriated on alcoholic beverages, and other mind altering substances such as marijuana, crack cocaine, and other substances, and mental disorders.
Another factor is the judiciary is soft on crime, one kills, and is set free when they should be hung, or incarcerated for the rest of their life; if they knew their faith will hanging, perhaps their would be less homicide in…
Don’t be so stupid. Killings are happening everyday of the week in St. Lucia, Barbados and Trinidad. Stop your evil thinking about your country and do something to help alleviate the problems Caribbean people face in their respective countries, sick old man.
Roosevelt Skerrit is the cause of all the killings (murders) in the country!
My condolences go out to family and friends of the deceased. I pray for justice to be swift and to fit the crime. Leader of UWP has nade a statement. A Parl rep has commented. Where is the unequivocal enough is enough at every level 🤔 in this male arrogant Commonwealth of Dominica? No long speech from the Prime Minister? No Gender Affairs?
My condolences go out to family and friends of the deceased. I pray for justice to be swift and to fit the crime. Leader of UWP has nade a statement. A Parl rep has commented. Where is the unequivocal enough is enough at every level 🤔 in this male arrogant Commonwealth of Dominica.?
Dominica is a chauvinistic society by and large, that promotes female degradation in song lyrics and dance. Check yourselves. Domestic violence, abusive behaviour, excessive alcohol consumption are normalised. The men do not respect the women and the women accept it. Superficial Barbie Doll politics is not equality or respect of women. Add social justice ⚖️ and gender issues to the reset, while explaining to the families and children why a community that calls on faith and religion in every breath has allowed this situation to be part of the Nature Isle story.
Based on a population of 72,000 this makes the homicide rate for 2022 for Dominica 25.0. If the actual population is lower the homicide rate will be higher.
We have one of the highest murder rates in the caribbean. People think otherwise because they don’t understand how statistics work.
It’s crazy to see what we are going through as a people. This is a beautiful lady who could be my friend or sister. Her smile tells it all. My condolences to the family and friends. My condolences goes out to the entire people of Dominica. We are all in this together. I have brothers and sisters which I pray for; as well as myself. I’d like to know where are all of these illegal guns are coming from. I’d also like to know what the government and the police force are doing to stop the illegal flow of guns into our country. Lastly, I would like to see a lawsuit brought against the government and the police force of Dominica for all these useless and innocent slaying of good people; while the Thugs live Free and protected. But I guess this won’t happen in Dominica because of the fear which the government has created for anyone who dare to oppose the regime. Lawyers and all are in subjection. We are crying for outside help, and we Dominicans say thanks in advance. Please 🇺🇸 HELP!!
There is something demonic happening in Dominica. If you, the reader, begs to differ; then I’d like you to say what you think is happening. Dominicans who love their country must stand up and do something. The most important thing we must do is to look within our lives and see how we as individuals measure up to the word of God. See whether we are turning a blind eye to the immortality, the injustice, the systems of our country which are overflowing with corruption. See whether or not you accept these evil practices. We need to examine our lives. There is a story about one (1) man in the book of Luke chapter 5. His name was “Legion.” This man Legion was possessed with the Devil and unclean spirits. There were about 2000 evil spirits within this man, Legion. It has been mentioned many times that we have a “Legion” in Dominica who is extremely Demonic and cannot be tamed. Lives are being sacrificed to maintain his hold on power. We all need to pray. Let’s get this beast off our back.
My heartfelt sympathy to both women families. Women must very careful with who they getting involve with. These heartless monsters did not even think of the children these women left behind. I hope this monster get what they the deserve
@ mine I wonder how Skerrit and Melissa feel when these kind of things happen seeing they are the first couple that ever served in parliament together. I hope it’s not too close to home
@mine
Get what they deserve where? In Dominica? Are you from Mars? I would not be surprised if both murderers are on bail in January.
The criminal justice system in Dominica needs an overhaul. The criminals know that the justice system stinks and noone is paying attention to it…so they kill at will!!
Dominica is bleeding!!
Snap election does not get rid of national curse sorry. My deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. I wonder how Mel thinks?
Mel? You don’t mean Mrs. Brendan Hyson do you. According to sources at the Catholic Church she stil married to that feller from Queens and that ceremony at Bourne church was a sham. Maybe our bishop at the time can tell me I’m misinformed then.
Again my sentiments extend to another woman fallen to the hands of someone who should have been trusted. History of violence in relationships calls for a larger community response, general supports and options for people (both women and men) to seek refuge and ways out of domestic violence. Be kind to each other, love your neighbors and intervene when you can. May she rest. Sincere guidance is needed to her children as they suffer the loss of a mother who clearly was working hard to provide. The good Lord’s wrath will prevail to all those who hurt his children. Trust and Believe.