A teenager is currently a patient in the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Burn Care Unit nursing burns to both hands, which he alleged were inflicted by a police officer two weeks ago.

Junior Thorrington

According to reports, Junior Thorrington, 19, of Lot 1 Eastville Housing Scheme, Annandale East Coast Demerara, was arrested by police officers for loitering.

The police said last night that the Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating a report that Thorrington was burnt to his hands allegedly by the police while he was in custody at the Sparendaam Police Station between May 25 and 27 during investigations into a criminal offence.

Attorney Dexter Todd, who is representing the teen, said he and the teen’s father yesterday met Acting Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud and were told that a OPR representative and an officer will be sent to the GPH Burns Care Unit today to interview the teenager.

Todd said the matter was being held under wraps since the incident first occurred but the family of the teenager subsequently decided to report it.

He added that police officers present at the Sparendaam Police Station when the teen was arrested had given conflicting reports.

http://www.stabroeknews.com/20...es-cop-burned-hands/

Quote "iNews was also reliably informed by a source close to the investigation that the embattled police rank was fingered in the 2009 torture of another teenager over at the Lenora Police Station.

In that case, the child was burnt to his genitals with the use of a lighter and methylated spirits." unquote

Police Officer Methylated Spirit

The PPP does NOTHING about this, and yet they don't have to apologize.

Let the police do this to an Indian and all hell will let loose.  Africans and Amerindians......who cares!

DEMENTED FOOL, The Police DID that to an Indian Boy at Leonora. YUh REALLY STUPID, but how are you going to know that!!!

It's alleged that it is the same cop doing this heinous act. Why is he still on the force? Rohee silence is deafening.

Mits, Can we chew Gun then blow whistle, please???

iNews was also reliably informed by a source close to the investigation that the embattled police rank was fingered in the 2009 torture of another teenager over at the Lenora Police Station.

In that case, the child was burnt to his genitals with the use of a lighter and methylated spirits. iNews was also informed by a source that at this point no police rank from the Sparendaam Police Station is under close arrest.

There are still some rotten apples in the GPF. They need to weed them out, but it will take some time. I think the force had been transformed well, but still need some work to be done. I am sure Selall will do a better job than his predecessors.

This incompetent buffoon for a Home Affairs Minister does nothing while young black youths are tortured over and over again. 

He was amerind

police officer.

Commissioner of Police (ag), Seelall Persaud

The Commissioner in an exclusive interview with iNews said there were several breaches in how the matter was handled and investigations will be done thoroughly to ensure justice is served.

The Top Cop also told iNews that he is unaware of any settlement between the implicated rank and the family of the teen; but noted that if the matter does not stand in court, because of the family’s decision, internal action will be taken against the officer.

iNews confirmed that the father of the 19 –  year-old accepted $100,000 from the police rank who allegedly tortured his son. However, it was made clear that the money will be used for transportation purposes.

According to the Police Commissioner, efforts to stop the investigation by ranks will be dealt with and will not be condoned.

Tortured teen, Junior Thorrington.

The matter is engaging the attention of Police Office of Professional Responsibility, after which it will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

The Commissioner noted that a representative from civil society will assist the police with their investigation in an effort to increase public trust in the force.

He also expressed disappointment in the timeframe the matter was reported noting that the incident took place on May 27 and ranks at the Police station failed to report the occurrence.

It was noted that at the time of the incident, the teen was being investigated for a criminal offence which occurred between May 25 and 27.

iNews was also reliably informed by a source close to the investigation that the officer in charge of the Police Station was fingered in the 2009 torture of another teenager at the Leonora Police Station.

In that case, the child was burnt to his genitals with the use of a lighter and methylated spirits. iNews was also informed by a source that at this point no police rank from the Sparendaam Police Station is under close arrest.

This latest incident comes even as the police are working with several communities to get young people to have a better relationship with the police as well as the ongoing investigations of one case of police brutality and torture at the Timheri Police Station and another case of police excesses where a cadet officer shot a teenager in his mouth.

Alleged police brutality…Attorney confirms victim’s father collected $100,000 from police

- Commissioner must answer for his ranks’ misconduct – Rohee Investigators from the Office of the Professional Responsibility (OPR) yesterday took a detailed statement from Junior Thornton who was burnt on both hands, allegedly by lawmen at the Sparendaam Police Station, two Tuesdays ago.

Comm. of Police (ag) Seelall Persaud

The statements were taken at the burn care unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in the presence of Thornton’s attorney, Dexter Todd. The investigation was launched after Thornton’s relatives took the case to the Police Complaints Authority on Monday, one week after the alleged incident. After giving his statement yesterday, the 19-year old Thornton told reporters, who had gathered at the hospital, that he was in the Sparendaam lock-ups for 72 hours (3 days) and during that period ranks there soaked his hands in methylated spirits and then set it afire. “The police lock me up and take me to the station and burnt my hands very badly as you can see.” His interview with the reporters was abruptly ended by a nurse, just as he was about to provide further details of his treatment at the hands of the police. Kaieteur News understands that after his release from police custody last week Tuesday, Thornton’s relatives observed the injuries to his hands and they went to the Sparendaam Police station, seeking answers. However for some strange reason, they did not immediately pursue the matter. There are reports that an attempt was made by the police ranks involved to compensate Thornton for his injuries, by offering his father $100,000. But when questioned about this, Attorney at law Todd told reporters, “I believe that the $100,000, based on my instructions, was given to assist him with his transportation, and not as one to not allow the course of justice to take its rightful course and

Junior Thornton continues to receive treatment for the burns on both of his hands.

for the police to investigate this matter, so I don’t know of that.” The fact that the incident comes in the wake of a few other damning allegations of police brutality which has caused great embarrassment to the force did not escape the attorney. Todd, a former police officer, is also playing an integral part in the matter involving now 16-year-old Alex Griffith who had a gun placed into his mouth by a police cadet officer who then pulled the trigger sending a bullet though the back of his head, behind his ear. “This is definitely not becoming of the Guyana Police Force…a few weeks ago we had a young 15-year-old who was shot in his mouth, now we have another teenager, 19 years old, with both hands burnt…Somebody has to account.” This newspaper contacted Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee yesterday and he offered this comment: “The Minister of Home Affairs has never issued any instructions or directives to the Commissioner of Police or his ranks to carry out such acts. The ranks are answerable therefore to the Commissioner; they must answer to him for their misbehaviour which is bringing the Force into disrepute. The Commissioner must tell the public what are his findings of the investigations he has ordered. The Ministry of Home Affairs has no policy to carry out torture against anybody.” Speaking to the way forward, attorney Todd said that they are going to give the police an opportunity to conduct their probe, since an investigation into the matter has been initiated by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). “They are going to take statements today (yesterday) and we believe that they are going to be given an opportunity to do a fair investigation so that justice can be served in this matter.” The attorney is hopeful that the investigation that the OPR is currently undertaking would be concluded in no

Attorney at law Dexter Todd (right) accompanies investigators from the police OPR to the GPHC’s Burn Care Unit to take a statement from the injured youth yesterday.

longer than one month. So far this newspaper understands that no one has been placed under close arrest, since according to a senior police source, Thornton has not yet identified any rank who inflicted the alleged burning. “He is still in hospital and his identification of the rank who allegedly did it is very important,” the source told this newspaper. Meanwhile, with respect to the case of 16-year-old Alex Griffith, Todd said that he is expecting that charges will be laid against the Police Cadet Officer no later than this weekend.