St James teacher held for hubby's murder
February 24, 2009
Family and child therapist Dr Beverley Scott is hinting that stress and trauma might have influenced the actions of an educator in St James who allegedly stabbed her husband to death during a domestic dispute at their home on Sunday.
Police reports state that 35-year-old Michelle Brown of the rural community of John's Hall was involved in a dispute with her husband, 46-year-old Junior Brown, when she inflicted a fatal stab wound to his chest.
Mrs Brown has since been taken into custody and, up to press time, was still being questioned by the police. She is yet to be charged.
"It could have been because she internalised her problems regarding the abuse where she began to experience stress and trauma and, as a result, she reached her breaking point where she probably could not take it anymore," Scott said.
Embarrassed to talk
The counsellor suggested further that based on Mrs Brown's profession (teaching), she probably did not want anyone to know what she was going through and might have felt too embarrassed to seek professional help in dealing with this type of abuse.
Mrs Brown and her husband had been together for more than 10 years and have two children. She has been an educator at the John's Hall All-Age School in the community for more than eight years.
When The Gleaner spoke with a senior police officer attached to the John's Hall Police Station, he stated that there were no earlier reports of abuse filed by Mrs Brown.
However, members of the community claimed she had complained about being beaten by her husband in the past.
Nevertheless, the John's Hall community was shocked to see the dispute between the couple end in the death of her husband.
Author: Sheena Gayle
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
