PHILIPSBURG--The Court of First Instance sentenced a man Thursday for mistreating his ex-wife, and for damaging her jeans.
For these crimes, Dwain S. Meyers (37) was sentenced in keeping with the Prosecutor's demand to four months suspended, on three years' probation, and 120 hours of community service.
Meyers told Judge Monique Keppels that he and the woman had had many ups and downs, during their 10 years of marriage.
The Judge considered it proven that he had mistreated his now ex-wife, after he had become enraged, because she was going out and seeing other men.
A medical report was presented as evidence that the father of three children ages four, eight and 10 had physically abused his former partner. The report cited slashes to her neck and bruises on her back and legs.
The defendant admitted that they had had an argument, but denied the mistreatment. He said the woman had come at him and he had only held her off.
Prosecutor Manon Ridderbeks said she considered proven the physical abuse taking place in the heated argument. However, she dropped the charge that Meyers had also threatened the woman, for lack of evidence.
Prosecutor Ridderbeks said domestic violence was a serious crime with grave consequences. She said it was "reprehensible" that the defendant had been fighting and abusing his wife in front of his children. "This sets a bad example and often leads to violent crimes among young adults," she stated.
"Domestic violence is a big problem on this island, and only a few victims have enough courage to file a complaint. And those who do file a complaint, we often find at the Police station a few days later, because they want to drop the case," Ridderbeks said.
According to attorney-at-law Shaira Bommel, the ex-partners had in the meantime settled their differences and established "a businesslike and mature contact with each other."
She maintained that her client had never mistreated or choked the woman. The attorney claimed that the victim had also gone to the Police station to withdraw her complaint, but had been told that the matter had already been forwarded to the Prosecutor's Office.
The lawyer pleaded for an acquittal on the mistreatment charge.
Judge Keppels considered mistreatment, as well as the damaging of the jeans proven.
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