Cops concealed victim’s face during medical examination at station

Nov 04, 2009 News

14-year-old torture teen…

– disregarded doctor’s advice

By Dale Andrews

The police reportedly disregarded the advice of their in-house physician to have the tortured teenaged murder suspect taken to the hospital as early as last Thursday.
Dr. Mahendra Chand, the Police surgeon, told this newspaper that he had seen and examined the youth on Thursday and had advised that he receive further treatment at a proper medical institution.
However, the teenager was only taken to a hospital on Saturday immediately after this newspaper published photographs of his injuries.
The teenager who was detained by detectives on Tuesday last was doused with a flammable liquid and set alight, which resulted in burns to his lower torso, genitals and thighs.
This newspaper was reliably informed that after the teenager was tortured on Wednesday night, the Divisional Detective Officer upon seeing his condition brought it to the attention of the Divisional Commander who subsequently informed the Police Commissioner.
The Divisional Detective Officer is one of the officers who were praised by Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee for his role in the investigation into the Ministry of Health fire.
The information was then relayed to the Police Commissioner Henry Greene who advised that the teenager be seen by the police doctor as is required by the police standing orders.
In an exclusive interview with this newspaper, Dr. Chand said that he was indeed contacted by the police to examine the prisoner.
According to the doctor, a police officer visited his home on Thursday and invited him to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station where the injured teen was being held.
He said that the teenager was brought out from the lock-ups with his head concealed.
“His head was covered and I thought that he was just another prisoner in a domestic matter who was brought in with injuries and that the police were trying to conceal his identity. I did not know who I was treating,” Dr. Chand told this newspaper.
The doctor said that he examined the prisoner’s injuries, which amounted to first-degree burns and prescribed some antibiotic medication, including Silverdeen.
He then advised that the prisoner be taken to a hospital for better medical attention.
At no time was he aware that he was treating a juvenile who had suffered torture at the hands of the police.
“I did not know that the police had anything to do with the prisoner’s injuries,” Dr. Chand told reporters from this newspaper.
Despite the doctor’s recommendations, the prisoner was returned to the lock-up under conditions that were not conducive to persons suffering from burns.
On Saturday it was observed that the injured teenager was crying out for water when he was finally able to see his parents and attorney.
According to Dr. Chand this is common among persons who suffer burning and therefore conditions such as those obtained in police lock-ups were not favourable.
He said that it was only after he saw the shocking news item with a graphic photograph in last Saturday’s edition of the Kaieteur News that he realised that he had treated a torture victim.
He admitted that he should have asked questions when he was treating the victim initially at the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
The teenager has since been admitted at the burns unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
This newspaper contacted Police Commissioner Henry Greene who said that the police followed the force’s standing order with regards to the treatment.
However, he said that from the information he received, the doctor had indicated that the prisoner was okay.
But according to a legal source that is monitoring the case closely, the fact that the Commissioner of Police and the Divisional Commander were aware that the police inflicted the teen’s injuries was enough for them to ensure that he received the best medical attention.
Several organizations and individuals have condemned the recent act, with some calling for a Commission of Inquiry to be established to look into all incidents of torture.
Some have even called for the resignation of the Commissioner of Police and the Minister of Home Affairs.
This newspaper also understands that the International Human Rights Body, Amnesty International has expressed significant interest in the recent case and there is the possibility of officials of that agency coming to Guyana to interview several major players in the security forces.
Following the recent reports of excessive use of force and ill treatment of prisoners by police ranks, the Guyana Police Force will from today commence a series of Instruction Classes in all the policing Divisions and at Force Headquarters.
The instruction classes will focus on the use of force and the Standard Operation Procedures for ranks on patrol duties as well as Traffic and General Duty ranks at stations.
The teams of Senior Officers conducting these Instruction Classes will comprise the Commissioner of Police Henry Greene, Assistant Commissioner Paul Slowe, Assistant Commissioner Krishna Lekhraj, Assistant Commissioner Clinton Conway, Assistant Commissioner Seelall Persaud, Senior Superintendent Cortland Gordon, and Senior Superintendent Neil Semple along with other officers.