Woman Found Hanging

ST JOHN’S, Antigua : Police are investigating the circumstances, which led to the death of a Gray’s Farm woman, who was found hanging in her home yesterday.

Reports are that around 3 pm, three people, including a 10-year-old neighbour, discovered 51-year-old Brijida Del Rosario “Lucy” Slaven hanging in the living room of her Christian Street residence.

Police cordoned off the section of the street where the incident occurred. Despite heavy rains, residents remained in the street until the body was removed from the house and taken to a funeral home.

The police said the dead woman was a mental patient who had been in and out of Clarevue psychiatric institute.

Residents reported erratic behaviour from Slaven earlier in the day and suspect she committed suicide.

Slaven’s immediate neighbour, Joan Connor reported, “(Tuesday) morning I called the police when she started throwing her things out in the streets. She had a knife and she was threatening to hurt her husband. I was afraid she would hurt herself or someone else with the knife so I called the police but they didn’t come.”

The woman said she called a nurse who lives in the village and asked the professional to help with the situation. With the aid of the nurse, the woman said she was able to get the police to the scene but when lawmen came they reportedly said they could do nothing unless the victim’s husband had signed certain documents.

Residents said the dead woman came to Antigua in 1987 and worked at a garment factory on Airport Road. They said Slaven had no children.

Meantime, police said a 41-year-old Cedar Valley Gardens woman is recovering after she reportedly attempted suicide Monday night.

The law enforcement officers said they responded to a report from the woman’s concerned boyfriend and upon arrival at her home, they got no answers to their calls and knocks on the door.

They forced their way in and found the woman in an unresponsive state.

Two sets of un-prescribed medication were discovered nearby. She was rushed to Mount St John’s Medical Centre, where she is in stable condition.