Former Calypso Queen of St. Kitts Tonicia “ANASTASIA” Martin has pleaded guilty to the much publicized burning and beating of her then 11 year-old child. Hodge plead guilty to causing grievous bodily to her daughter. Anastasia was on August 19 charged with two counts of causing grievous bodily harm in relation to the alleged burning.
Reports are that on 16 August 2013, Martin left her 11 year old daughter at home with two younger children. When the child went to the stove to cook food for her twin brothers, she accidentally spilled hot water from the pot, burning one of the boys on his shoulder. When Martin returned home that evening the girl told her what had happened and she became enraged. Martin began punching the daughter in her head and about her body. She then beat the child with a broom, and when it broke, she continued to beat the child with piece of the broomstick until that too broke. She also hit the girl in her head with a pot. The girl ran out of the house and tried to call to a neighbor for help but Martin dragged the girl back inside and asked her if she wanted to “see how burn feel”. The mother heated a pot spoon on the fire and burned the girl on her arms, chest and feet. Other media reports at the time indicated that The 2 year old boy carried burns on his shoulder, back, wrist. The 11 year old had much more severe burns to her arms, leg and chest. The burns were described as truly gruesome and heartbreaking. “Looking at the photos of the burns brought tears to my eyes, ‘said one reporter.
The judge in the matter Justice Marlene Carter ordered a psychiatric evaluation of Martin to ascertain whether she is “fit and competent” to continue to have custody of her youngest child. The Madame Justice also requested an updated social inquiry report regarding continued counseling for Martin’s emotional and anger issues.
Martin will be sentenced on May 10. Hodge is the mother of 6 including 2 boys in Anguilla and 2 girls and twin boys in St. Kitts and is arguably the most successful St. Kitts Female Calypsonian having won multiple Calypso Queen Titles. Anastasia received a Caribbean Queens Award in 2007 from the National Women’s Action Committee (NWAC) in Trinidad.