Human Rights body advocates for

independent investigation of Police

Brutality case…

 
Challenges government to foot medical expenses

It is the opinion of the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is engaged in a “cover-up” rather than an investigation of the brutality to Colwyn Harding.
This, the body says it has concluded after an alleged eyewitness of the incident came forward and disclosed that he was asked by some police ranks not to give a statement.

Colwyn Harding on his hospital bed yesterday

The body voiced that it is therefore calling for the appointment of a respected and independent person to investigate all aspects of the matter and for vigorous implementation of all the recommendations such an investigation might produce. Additionally, it is calling for sustained public vigilance over any subsequent proceedings while recommending that the Government assume all costs of medical treatment required for the full recuperation of the young man.
The eyewitness, who identified himself as Stephan Joseph Phillips called ‘Muslim,’ told Kaieteur News that he, along with his 17-year-old son, was detained at the Timehri Police Station from November 14 to 15, around the same time Harding was brought to the station.
According to the GHRA, the reports of the brutality dealt to the young man extend the perception of a “supposedly disciplined services” being out of control. It said that such efforts at “cover-up” undermine the credibility of the upper echelon of the Guyana Police Force.
The body added that the police’s efforts to defend themselves against charges of negligence and laxity in responding to the original allegations of the assault are not convincing. “Police officers allegedly present when the beatings and sexual assault took place apparently took no responsibility to either stop the assault, to assist Harding to get prompt medical attention, nor to report the incident to higher authority,” it said.
Describing it as “a belated scramble”, the body pointed out that the investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) was only prompted by interventions from the press. “In other words, extreme physical brutality, an offense which merits years in prison if committed by a civilian – let alone the allegations of sexual assault – was treated as a routine disciplinary incident when involving a police officer.”
The GHRA expressed that another reason for the failure to report could be the perception that such reports are unwelcome by superiors. It said that the state of things internally in the GPF, and in the event it is more widespread than it seems, suggest that the institution is beyond internal reform. “Where the vitality and vision for renovation is to come from is unclear, but it seems safe to say that it will not be from within the GPF or the political party sphere,” the body posited.
It added that it deems calls for the resignation of the Commissioner of Police and the Minister of Home Affairs as “understandable” and identified that bodies such as the Police Service Commission and the Police  Association, which should be channels for re-vitalizing the GPF, are moribund.
“The only guarantee of re-invigorating the GPF with standards of integrity and professionalism is greater direct public involvement in decision making at all levels of public life.” The body made reference to an attempt, almost a decade ago, to renovate the GPF as an institution, noting that the opportunity was lost when the “watered down” recommendations produced by the Disciplined Services Commission were “kicked into the long grass” by Parliament.
With respect to the SWAT team, the Human Rights body posited that here is not where priority should lie but at instilling respect throughout the Force for the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and the Minimum Standards for the Treatment of Prisoners. It opined that Senior Police officials and politicians responsible for law and order should regularly and publicly promote and implement these standards.
“The total silence by senior authorities on these standards send a signal to lower ranks that use of excessive force is no big thing.” As such it is calling for a process of renovating the leadership of the GPF in a manner which underlines and “ring-fences” professionalism from political party interference.”