Battered Dominican teen in Antigua out of hospital; mother seeks help to meet his needs

After spending several weeks at the hospital in Antigua, Dominica Jahhym Azoo is finally home.

Azoo was given a fifty percent chance of survival after about five boys attacked on several weeks ago. He suffered a broken jaw, nose, bleeding from his brain and all this bottom tooth were knocked out. But now that the 17-year-old is home, his family is left with a medical bill that surpasses fifty thousand dollars. His mother Odiel Furlong said she is also finding it hard to meet his daily expenses because he can no longer eat solid foods.

“I’m just calling on the public to help me out with the needs of my son — like liquid food which he has to eat because he cannot eat any hard food, and I also need some help with some medication. At this time, it is very tough and tight with me,” Furlong said.

Meantime Furlong continues to share her frustration over the police’s handling of the case as, according to her, she is still not clear about the progress because not much information has been shared with the family. She also alleged that she was attacked by one of the perpetrators who had initially gone to her children’s school. She said despite multiple reports, the police have yet to arrest all of the alleged perpetrators.

“The police [are] not doing their work. Every time I go to the station, they tell me they can’t find the pickaneerga and them and I am wondering why they can’t find them. I would really like to know what’s going on because this nah sound right. It frustrates me now; sometimes I chip out. This na right to me.”

The police, to date, have arrested and charged two minors with assault with intent to commit murder and have said that there was no indication that there were indeed five boys who attacked and injured Azoo.

The victim and his mother, however, maintain their claim that it was five.