The wife of central businessman Sheron Sukhdeo has broken her silence on her decision to refuse to testify against him for assaulting her on two occasions earlier this year.
Speaking for the first time since the charges were discontinued on Monday, Rachael Sukhdeo yesterday shared a lengthy post on her Facebook page detailing her reasons for speaking out about her experience with domestic violence and her decision to reconcile with her husband.
“He wasn't allowed within 100ft of our house. I was d one who decided to ask dat d court order be waived to allow him back in. We have a beautiful family together and if we cld fix it an save d last 15 years we spent together, den why not? If we can't make it through den we cld safely say we tried (sic),” the post, which generated over 1,000 “likes” and over 150 comments on the site within an hour, said.
Sukhdeo explained that while she had received supportive comments from dozens of strangers since she posted pictures of her injuries in February, she also was the recipient of numerous negative comments since news of her subsequent decision became public.
“Why are ppl so quick to pass judgement without even thinking about the hurt it cld cause someone else... and not only in my situation? I witness this on a day to day basis. Something happens... den everyone jumps to their own conclusion with their disgusting comments,” she said.
Sukhdeo said when she highlighted the incident she was “completely frustrated, hurt, depressed and devastated,” but did not wish for her husband to be charged by police.
“When the police asked me if I wanted to press charges, I said ‘no, I just want him to stay away from me and leave me alone,’ but the charges were laid indictably,” Sukhdeo said, as she nonetheless praised the police for their intervention.
While she admitted to being attacked by her husband on several occasions during their over 15-year marriage over allegations of his alleged infidelity, she said he is the “MOST committed and loving father any child cld wish for.”
She said since being charged her husband had completely changed his attitude towards her and is no longer abusive.
“He was FINALLY willing to do d tings an make d changes dat I always asked him to do, jus so he wouldn’t loose his family. Since the month of May we started goin to counselling an seeing each other and doin things as a family on and off.
“I'm not picking up for him or trying to be in denial, but I've seen d most amount of changes a man cld hav ever made in him. Sheron wld now walk away from arguing with me (sic),” she said.
She added: “Don't matter how many times we end up in a disagreement he wld jus walk away. This is something dat NEVER happened before. He wld now do d most unimaginable things... things I always wished for. I always had d fancier things in life so I always wished for d simpler tings. Now he wld bring me food where I'm sitting, rub my feet wen I say dey hurt, wake up on mornings an send d kids off to skl without waking me up, go to stores with me, make grocery shopping, bring me flowers without an occasion. He wld com in kitchen an help me while I'm cooking. He wld invite my frens an family to do things together wit us.”
Included in the positive changes her husband made, Sukhdeo said she had now been able to open her own make-up business.
“Now he actually supports me as being an independent woman, something he never wanted before. These were all things I dreamt of,” she said as she detailed their struggle to establish his used car business after they got married when they were teenagers.
“Any little thing dat displeases me he wld change it immediately. If I say he wasn't trying his BEST...I'd be a liar. I give him full props for trying to salvage his family like a man instead of letting us slip away like a little boy.”