Virgin Gorda man charged with assault after beating girlfriend on Tortola date

A 23-year-old Virgin Gorda man faces assault charges after allegedly striking his girlfriend during an argument in Road Town, leaving her with facial injuries.

Virgin Gorda man charged after girlfriend left with facial injuries following Road Town altercation

A 23-year-old man from Virgin Gorda has been charged with assault after allegedly beating his girlfriend during an argument in Road Town, leaving her with a bleeding nose and a bruised, swollen left eye. BVI News reports that the suspect also faces additional charges related to damage caused to the victim's belongings.

The victim, whose age has not been confirmed, told investigators she and the accused had been in a relationship for approximately five months. On the day of the incident, she travelled from Virgin Gorda to Tortola after the accused invited her to spend the day with him.

Toward the end of the visit, an argument broke out while the pair were seated inside a vehicle in Road Town. The man allegedly slapped the woman across the face during the dispute, causing her nose to bleed and leaving her left eye bruised and swollen. A subsequent altercation reportedly resulted in her shirt being torn.

The accused is also alleged to have thrown the woman's cellphone from the second floor of a building after she attempted to retrieve it. It remains unclear whether additional items belonging to the victim were damaged.

The woman was treated at the Iris O'Neal Medical Centre on Virgin Gorda and subsequently discharged. The accused was arrested and later released on bail. He is expected to appear before the Magistrate's Court later this year.

The incident has drawn attention to ongoing concerns about intimate partner violence in the British Virgin Islands and its consequences for victims.

Source: BVI News