Questions surrounding how and why persons are admitted to mental health institutions, have become a focal point in this country.
This after Yugge Farrell was committed to the institution for 2 weeks for observation, following claims that she allegedly used “obscene language” on Karen Duncan-Gonsalves, the wife of the finance minister Camillo Gonsalves, last week in the Prospect vicinity.
On Friday 5th of January, the 22-year old Ottley Hall resident, pleaded not guilty, when she was brought before the Kingstown Magistrates court.
However, Magistrate Bertie Pompey granted the prosecutor Corlene Samuel’s stance to instead commit the once regional model 2 weeks observation at the mental health institution at villa.
This resulted in Farrell posting a barrage of videos expressing her alleged affair with Camillo Gonsalves among other accusations.
The issue of Farrell being committed to the institution, also prompted Psychiatrist Dr. Karen Providence to call into Hot 97 FM, where she pointed out that it was not unusual for the court to order patients to the mental health facility by court order.
According to the criminal code of St. Vincent & the Grenadines section 289 “any person who uses any abusive language, blasphemous, indecent, insulting, profane or threatening language in any public place, in any place to the annoyance of the public or in any circumstance likely to cause a breach of the peace….is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for three months.
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Dr Providence,
If you were to enforce that law, you would need to built a lot of jails in SVG. Is it because this young woman was alleged to have verbally abused the wife of a MP who allegedly had sex with her? Was this sex consensual? We don’t know? Does the young lady have a history of mental illness? And to your knowledge, has she verbally abused anybody else in public? So does this law extend to the mental capacity of an individual? If so, I ask again, why isn’t two thirds of Vincentions serving 3 months jail sentences? Shouldn’t the Minister who allegedly had sex with this young woman be called to account? Why? Well, what does the law say about a well educated man in a position of responsibility in the Government of St Vincent, having sex with a young woman who is mentally incapicitated? I hope due process will be followed here too. Regrettably, he might never be called to account because clever people know how to shift the blame on the weak and vulnerable. Judge (no pun intended) me cynical but isn’t that how the law works in favour of men in power caught with their pants round their ankles?