BABYSITTER’S CASE: A CRY FOR EQUAL JUSTICE

Feb 26, 2014 Letters

Dear Editor,
I am Guyanese, do office work in New York, and I read the Guyanese papers daily online. I have not read another story in a long time that has moved me the way babysitter Fatima Martin’s story has.
The manner in which she says she was severely beaten, slapped, cuffed, hit on the head over two to three days, one of it took place in the courtyard, and all before witnessing police officers makes you go livid.
Now these beatings, she says were inflicted on her by a sitting magistrate and her husband, both officers of the Court sworn to uphold the law. Of course these are allegations made by Ms. Martin and there are several police witnesses. My question is this: Why weren’t the alleged perpetrators of this crime arrested and charged?
Let the judicial system decide on guilt or innocence based on the evidence. Or as one apologist argues, this babysitter’s case is just like that of a burglar got caught. You beat the burglar up and then send him to jail. The Attorney-general should make a clear distinction between the babysitter’s crime and the commonly held but wrong view of the burglar’s.
Ms. Martin pleaded guilty to an indictable charge of hitting a one-year-old child, and was sentenced to 60-months jail, maximum allowed by law. Arrested on Wednesday, tried and sentenced on Friday, trial in camera and unrepresented by attorney. Does the manner of her trial and maximum sentence – isn’t something wrong with it? Does it not portray Guyana’s judicial system badly? Not at all, says Attorney Peter Hugh (SN blog Feb 20th).
What was troubling about Attorney Peter Hugh’s blog on behalf of his well-heeled clients, was when he sought to compare Guyana’s judicial handling of this case with his implied suggestion of how Canada’s would have done. Let me say I have lived in both Canada and America for the last 30-years. And I have a good sense on how the system works here.
My firm belief is that both Magistrate Chandan and her husband, were they living in Canada, would have been arrested and charged with battery causing bodily harm on their babysitter. If we could only create some sort of a simulation of this case in North America, I would take a bet that the stand-ins for magistrate Chandan and her husband would be arrested.
There is a clear sense in North America that officers of the law are dealt with more firmly, and often made an example of – and for good reason because they should know better. Just ask Roger Khan’s lawyer, Robert Simels.
I would urge Guyana’s highest law enforcement official, the Attorney-General to see that equal justice is done in this matter – and not one kind of justice for a helpless, downtrodden babysitter, and another kind for well-heeled and powerful people in our society. And, also to make sure in the future that Guyana’s judicial system is not manipulated to suit the needs of the elite and powerful.
Indranee Jagnandan

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BABYSITTER’S CASE: A CRY FOR EQUAL JUSTICE

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