By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribubemedia.net
A WOMAN who claimed she was sexually assaulted at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre in November is still waiting for police to conclude their investigations into the matter.
Chief Superintendent of Police Michael Johnson said yesterday police have no update.
In December, the woman told The Tribune she was sexually assaulted in immigration custody and continually abused after complaining about an officer’s actions.
The woman, who said she was pregnant at the time of the assault, claimed an officer touched her sexually without her consent.
The 40-year-old woman, who had been detained on November 11, was released from custody after The Tribune contacted immigration officials and persons from the Jamaican Consulate in The Bahamas got involved.
Her lawyers also applied for leave to issue a writ of habeas corpus concerning her. The application said she was never charged with a crime despite being detained for 40 days with her 11-year-old son.
An affidavit from the woman’s Bahamian fiance accompanied the application.
It said: “I have also been reliably informed through an anonymous caller who claims to be an immigration officer that the applicants have both been physically abused and that the first applicant has been sexually assaulted by an immigration officer at this undisclosed facility.”
The identities of the people involved have been withheld to protect the alleged victims.
The alleged victim tearfully recounted her experience and forwarded pictures purporting to show bruises on her body. They showed faint black marks on her arms, and her hair appeared badly cut.
She said officers claimed that her injuries were self-inflicted, but she insisted she had no access to objects to harm herself.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 2 months, 2 weeks ago
The story doesn't make clear that she reported one of the officers cut her hair. We need to get this right. People cannot be detained behind closed doors and subjected to whatever torture the detaining officers be they police, defence force or immigration decide to dish out. Then on release is always she say he say. This isnt a date. Where are the cameras? Where is the independent oversight checking on the detainees?
ThisIsOurs 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Story also doesnt mention that they beat up her 11 year old son who tried to help her when he saw her being attacked . What is going on with Bahamian men? Why is there so much sexual violence. Still zero account of the ASP who violently attacked a woman walking down the street for rebuffing his vulgar sexual advances. I pray God we dont ever have a disaster like Dorian that hits Nassau, first because who wants to see that kind of destruction. But second, omg, our men will turn into animals overnight. Women will not be safe. The evidence is everywhere, even in parliament.
jamaicaproud 2 months, 2 weeks ago
No I and I don't condone any Yardy breaking the laws of the great Commonwealth of the Bahamas. I don't know why she was locked up. However the mistreatment is because they are accustomed to mishandling Haitians who have a do nothing government that does not or is unable to represent their citizens.
People everywhere must remember sentences are handed out in the courts
I guess the guard mistook "wha yuh a seh" for "Sak Pase"
mandela 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Yes, this is ridiculous, stop shielding these bad no-good officers of the government be they police, immigration, or whichever organization it is.
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