Teen mother hangs herself

Reshma Meetoo, 17, gave birth to her first baby six weeks ago. On Tuesday, the young mother hanged herself from a rafter in her bedroom while her infant son, Kenny, lay on a bed close by. Relatives who lived nearby were alerted by the incessant crying of the baby and went to see what was happening. They found the young woman hanging by a rope in her bedroom. Reshma’s mother, Devika Meetoo, told Newsday that after giving birth, Reshma fell into a deep state of depression during which she cried regularly and threatened to take her life. Reshma’s common-law husband, Anthony Pedro, 25, a labourer, was at work when the tragedy occurred at their Ebenezer Trace, Lengua Road home in Moruga. “Since she had the baby she was crying all the time but she would not tell us what the problem was,” Devika said. She added that she tried to counsel her daughter, but Reshma would never say what was depressing her.

“I am her husband and she never told me anything either,” a forlorn Pedro added. Recalling the last moments he spent with Reshma, Pedro said she was nursing their baby and he was playing with him and telling the baby how much they loved him. But he said that Reshma just stared at him and he asked her why she wouldn’t put a smile on her face. “She asked me what time I was coming back and I told her in half an hour.” Soon after Pedro left, Reshma’s sister Cindy, saw her in the gallery crying. When the baby was heard crying for a long time, Devika sent her other two daughters to check on Reshma. “They came back and told me Kenny was crying and they were calling  Reshma but she was not answering. Devika said she got worried and ran to the house where she found her daughter hanging. Visiting the scene was a party of officers from Princes Town CID led by Sgt Errol Ramdath. District Medical Officer Dr Seelochan viewed the body and ordered its removal to the San Fernando Mortuary where an autopsy is scheduled for today. PC Patel is continuing investigations.