Necrophilia in Guyana

According to Wikipedia: Necrophilia, also called thanatophilia and necrolagnia, is the sexual attraction to corpses. In many countries it is a crime and -- I would go as far as to say -- abhorrent to most people all over the world. However it does exist and as a testament to that fact there is the story of Roopram Bacchus.

Roopram Bacchus is a 20-year-old man also known as ‘Toe Toe’, of Lot 25 Adelphi Village, East Canje, Berbice near New Amsterdam in Guyana. He is employed as a garbage collector.

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He was brought before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo of the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court accused of two charges:

• Exhuming the body of a 75-year-old woman, Sumintra Shaw Narayan and 
• Committing an act of Necrophilia 

Prosecutor Inspector Satrohan Dayaram told the court that sometime between March 5th and 6th Roopram Bacchus broke into the tomb where Sumintra Narayan had been buried just hours before. He took out the coffin and removed the body and then committed an indecent act on the corpse. Afterward he took away money and jewellery that was left in the coffin by relatives.

When asked what he had to say, the defendant said that he was guilty of the first charge and told the court that it was the first time he was “ever involved in police story”. He said that he is sorry for what he did and begged for a chance. He blamed his actions on a drinking problem and said he would not drink anymore. He then begged the magistrate to fine him and not put him in jail. He faces a possible 5-year jail sentence.

Magistrate Nagamootoo, suspecting something was wrong with the man, asked the prosecutor if the defendant has psychological problems. The prosecutor responded that the defendant was examined at the Fort Canje Psychiatric Hospital, and was deemed to be ‘fit and sane’. Not being satisfied with the prosecutor's response, the magistrate said she wanted to see the actual report before deciding on the sentence and set a new court date.

As he was leaving court Bacchus begged the relatives of the deceased woman, who had gathered in large numbers at the court, to “help meh out, see wha’ yuh could do for meh and give me a chance”.

When they next appeared in court the magistrate fined Roopram Bacchus $200.

This story began when 75-year-old Sumintra Narayan took ill on March 1st. with a heart condition and was rushed to the New Amsterdam hospital where she later died. She was buried on Friday, 5th March. The next day the dead woman’s son, Badranauth Narayan, 44, an employee at the Rose Hall Estate, had told investigators that he received a call that someone had broken into his mother’s tomb.

After arriving at the tomb Badranauth Narayan found his mother's corpse was naked, the legs sprawled and there was what looked like semen in the corpse’s vaginal area. There were also bite marks on the body and the legs looked like they were broken. 

Who ever committed the act also burnt the casket and the woman’s clothing. Foreign and local currencies, as well as jewellery, which were placed in the hands of the deceased, as is customary in Hindu burial rites, were also stolen.

Acting on a report that Roopram Bacchus during the night had made a purchase at a shop close by, citizens effected an arrest and delivered the man to the police station. However, that was not before he was beaten badly by the dead woman's relatives. A bartender from the nearby shop told them that Bacchus showed up at his shop that same night covered with cement debris and ordered a beer with two single U. S. dollar notes. Eyewitnesses also report that they had seen the man in the vicinity Friday evening.

Police said they saw evidence of the partly burnt US dollar at the burial site but the badly beaten man claimed that he got the money from his mother who is overseas. After his initial denial of involvement  Roopram Bacchus later confessed to the crime. The dead woman was reburied in another casket and placed in the same tomb, which was later repaired.

Relatives, some of whom had travelled from overseas, said that Roopram Bacchus was at the funeral of 75-year-old Sumintra Narayan and had even helped with the final rites. They were grateful to the residents who helped to capture the perpetrator.

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