WHEN Hercude Estime visited his brother at the Central Detective Unit on Thursday, Leroy Estime (pictured) appeared to be in perfect health. However, his brother alleged that officers had placed a bag over his head, tightened his handcuffs and beat him on his bottom with a machete to force his confession to severe crimes.
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
WHEN Hercude Estime visited his brother at the Central Detective Unit on Thursday, Leroy Estime appeared to be in perfect health.
However, his brother alleged that officers had placed a bag over his head, tightened his handcuffs and beat him on his bottom with a machete to force his confession to severe crimes.
Even then, Mr Estime said he couldn’t imagine that two days later he would get a call from a woman at Princess Margaret Hospital saying his brother had arrived suffering from bruised ribs while coughing blood.
Mr Estime raced to PMH but said police prevented him from seeing his older sibling.
“I actually stormed out the hospital because I was mad,” he said yesterday.
“When I saw him that Thursday, nothing was wrong with him.”
Mr Estime said officers contacted him Saturday night to bring medicine to his brother at CDU.
“I think he’s going to be charged in court,” he said, confirming his brother was out of hospital on Saturday and arrested concerning armed robbery and attempted murder.
“I don’t like it. I feel it’s an injustice. You know, if you’re going to do a proper investigation, do it the right way. If he’s guilty, do it the right way, but I feel as if the way they went about it is inhumane, and no humans should be subjected to that. That’s just how I feel.”
Mr Estime said his 27-year-old brother had been locked up before. However, he said the man became a Bahamian citizen and held a string of jobs since then.
Asked about the allegations yesterday, Chief Superintendent of Police Michael Johnson, the officer in charge of the CDU, said: “I have no information on that, I cannot help you with that.”
Concern about forced confessions has persisted for years.
Last month, the Privy Council overturned a ruling after a man spent 12 years in prison based on a confession the judges said should not have been admitted as evidence.
The court expressed “deep concern” about how the case was handled and found it improbable that the man, Vinson Ariste, would confess to multiple crimes during his short detention.
Defence lawyers said the ruling highlighted longstanding problems involving confessions.
However, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe has said he does not believe there is a culture of forcing confessions in The Bahamas.
Comments
tell_it_like_it_is 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Police officers beating people severely before they are brought to court? Never!
Because the police officers themselves would be charged with assault in a civilized society. Right?
Oopps... sorry I forgot this is The Bahamas... a lawless society, from top to bottom. SMH😒
lucaya 9 months, 2 weeks ago
You're a fool to think the whole country corrupt 😠 and name also a corrupt free country please?
John 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Police brutality has been going on since time immemorial. The sad thing is an innocent person gets beaten mercilessly, sometimes to the point of having permanent injuries and damages to internal organs. He has to spend months, sometimes years on bail, that’s if he’s lucky and not gunned down by what is now referred to as Vigilantes carrying out street justice. Then if he is lucky enough to make it before the courts, the judge throws the case out for lack of evidence. But yet he is a marked man, not unlike Cain, and must spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder.
longgone 9 months, 2 weeks ago
It is amazing how a person charged with a crime in the Bahamas, in nearly all cases, confesses. The police never bother to properly investigate, or try to obtain evidence in a criminal matter. It is much easier to just beat the heck out of the accused as it saves a lot of leg work. The Bahamas judicial system is a disgrace.
TalRussell 9 months, 2 weeks ago
If true, it's a brother's terrifying introduction to --- Such 'in custody' horror stories that --- Have become all too common.. --- Even more frightening when the popoulaces' --- Grow to lean more towards believing --- It's the 'do nothing' high command that is the --- 'Author' of their --- 'In Custody Training Guidelines.'
JokeyJack 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Bahamians love to get beaten by the police. In fact, many were seen dancing and celebrating 50 years of police brutality just last week.
SP 9 months, 2 weeks ago
NOBODY believes this! "National Security Minister Wayne Munroe has said he does not believe there is a culture of forcing confessions in The Bahamas".
This police culture of beating confessions out of people is very well known. The PLP and FNM police goon squads have a reputation for brutality.
Why can't we train detectives to interrogate suspects properly? The U.S., Canada, U.K., and others do not resort to police brutality for confessions, so why must the Bahamas police?
Are our detectives too stupid to interrogate without brutality? Is Wayne Munroe so stupid that he thinks we will believe his cover-up?
How do we bring investigations into police brutality by international organizations?
birdiestrachan 9 months, 2 weeks ago
The police are now using machete to beat people .? that is new, and what kind of medicines was he asked to bright for his brother , it would be good if more facts were brought forward and not just tantalising head lines,
JokeyJack 9 months, 2 weeks ago
The machete symbolizes our overall cultural change.
mandela 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Persons ( Bahamians ) found to have unjustly been locked up for long extended time and later found innocent should be compensated by the state.
TalRussell 9 months, 2 weeks ago
@Comrade, what is so strange about the brother being asked to brungs medicines to the policeman's station? --- A family member was hospitalized at PMH and the family were told if they want the patient's bed changed --- Best they brungs a change of fresh bed linens.
JokeyJack 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Yes, of course anything the PLP does is acceptable to you Tal. Maybe we should have to bring our own doctors to PMH too? Maybe each neighborhood can chip in to have their own local xray machine? Or maybe we can all chip in and pay duty and vat and stamp tax and conveyance tax and departure tax and NIB etc and have a thing called government run by people with sense to manage those tax dollars in the public interest?
stillwaters 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Besides the illegal beating and cutlassing......this guy was arrested for armed robbery and attempted murder...... and was on some sort of daily meds ......I know how my neighbor's son acts if he misses his meds....while family runs for cover
IslandWarrior 9 months, 2 weeks ago
The Bahamas has been grappling with concerns over reports of police-involved killings and allegations of abuse. These allegations, if proven true, would seriously violate human rights and undermine the principles of justice and the rule of law. The mistreatment of individuals who are in custody is a clear contravention of internationally recognized human rights standards. As a result, the international community, including highly respected organizations such as the United Nations and human rights groups, would likely demand an impartial investigation into these allegations.
It is crucial for authorities to ensure accountability and provide appropriate remedies to the victims of such mistreatment. The current situation in The Bahamas is not conducive to a safe coexistence between the community and those who the state may abuse. To prevent further escalation, it is essential to adopt de-escalation measures before the abusers and families of victims retaliate in such a volatile environment, where tensions are high and emotions are running strong.
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