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Woman cries for justice after alleged beating by police
Kaieteur News – A young woman is calling on the Police’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), to investigate an alleged severe beating meted out to her by ranks at the Sparendaam and Beterverwagting Police Stations.
The marks of violence seen on Baker’s body which was caused by the police officers – (PC- Leroy Smith)
Sarah Baker, 24, who resides at Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) alleges that the beating was inflicted on her while she was in their custody on Thursday night.
During a telephone interview with Baker yesterday, she told Kaieteur News that her brother was taken to the Sparendaam Police Station that night, following an argument between him and his girlfriend.
According to Baker, her brother and his girlfriend had been arguing in the bar, which they operate at their home, after which a report was lodged with the police.
The police reportedly arrived some two hours later and arrested Baker’s brother.
Baker said she went the police station at about 22:00hrs that night, to enquire about her brother and was informed by a rank, to return approximately ten minutes later.
During this time, Baker said she chose to return home to close up the family’s business—Benab Bar—which they own and operate at their residence.
Baker told this publication that when she returned to the police station, she was informed that her brother was placed on $15,000 bail, which pressed her to ask about the charge.
“When I asked the money was for what, it became a whole story. Then a CID officer who visited our home earlier told me to sit on the bench and I asked why because I was not under arrest.”
The woman related to this publication, that at this point in time the Detective, turned and told her, “well get yuh lil stinking mother sk**t out of the station.”
She concedes responding to the rank with the same tone of language, after which a law enforcement officer who was seated at his desk allegedly ran and “choked” her.
The incident caused her common law husband—who was not too far away—to attempt to defend his wife, to no avail.
The rank, accompanied by a female police then reportedly handcuffed the woman.
Sparendaam Police Station
“How she put the handcuff so tight, it cut my wrist and they put my husband out of the station,” she said.Baker said that her husband was on the road when two policemen attacked him, kicked him to his face and caused him to lose a tooth, before hitting him with a gun to his head. He was then placed in the lockups, according to the woman. During the ordeal, she was subsequently transferred to the Beterverwagting Police Station, but not before reportedly suffering another thrashing from the ranks.
“As soon as I came down the station steps, one of the officers slapped me and another one cuff me…then the female rank held onto the chain from the handcuffs and pulled me to the vehicle.”
Baker said, “After some struggle, I got into the vehicle. When I got into the vehicle, the female officer took a baton and gave me one lash to my left side shoulder and then the male on the other side cuffing me to my belly.
She said too that while “I was in the station, they told all the other officers and the prisoners that I was a prostitute and how no one paid me for the night, so I am upset and that I am on drugs, they were having a ball.”
Baker told this publication she was held in custody at that police station until the following afternoon (Friday) before being taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for a medical examination.
“I asking since the night to take me to the hospital and in the morning, I asked the station Sergeant to get someone to take me but they refused.”
She said, it was only after her mother contacted the Police Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), “that is when I got to go to the hospital.”
By that time, it was reportedly too late to obtain a full medical report from the GPHC and she was subsequently taken back to the Sparendaam Police Station and placed on $5,000 bail for allegedly assaulting a police rank. Her husband and brother were also placed on $5,000 bail each.
According to Baker, she later managed to secure a medical from Diamond Diagnostic Centre (DDC), which stated that there were severe soft tissue injuries to the right shoulder, right forearm, right thigh and lower back and visible signs of trauma consistent with blunt force trauma.
It was noted further that the injuries could cause temporary disability to the right arm.
Kaieteur News contacted the Region 4C Divisional Commander, Khail Pareshram who has since confirmed that the OPR is currently investigating the matter.
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