Woman alleges physical abuse by rank at Parika Police Station-claims rank instructed her to spank his buttocks
Apr 23, 2019 , https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...-spank-his-buttocks/
And almost tearful Parika resident yesterday recounted an allegedly harrowing experience she suffered at the hands of ranks at the Parika Police Station.
In apparent pain from a very badly swollen right wrist, businesswoman Ramwattie Safeek, of 1982 Parika Main Road, told this publication that a traffic rank at the Parika Police Station, on Sunday, deliberately slammed a steel gate on her right wrist, and bending over, instructed her to spank his buttock as she attempted to make a report at the police station.
The woman who is the landlady at the Parika-based ‘Golden World Chinese Restaurant’ told Kaieteur News that the traffic rank was in the habit of constantly tormenting her in the public. She said he would often verbally abuse her in the streets, and would often publicly tease her about her epileptic condition for which she was being medically treated.
She said many times the rank would call her a mad woman in public and would tease her incessantly despite her pleas for him to stop.
The woman said that on Sunday she visited the police station to secure bail for her son who was in custody when the incident occurred. She said her son, Kumesh Seecharran, had visited her on Sunday and had taken a few drinks. He became physically abusive to his reputed wife (pushed her during a heated argument). As a result he was taken into custody after a relative reported the matter.
The woman said a few hours later, the reputed wife went to the station and told ranks there that she will not further pursue the matter, and preferred to have her husband released. The businesswoman informed that police ranks refused to have her write a statement to that effect (as is customarily done), stating that they preferred to send the matter to court.
The businesswoman said as she attempted to secure bail for her son, the traffic rank instructed ranks not to grant bail and ordered her out of the station. She said she left the premises but stayed within close vicinity of the station since she preferred to wait for the Officer in Charge, who ranks had informed was away on a boat cruise.
She said she was informed some time later that the OIC had returned and was on her way to see him, when the rank confronted her at the gate to the police station. She said that on relating her reasons for returning, he roughly refused her entry and slammed the gate on her when she attempted to enter.
She said the gate hit her wrist and she felt excruciating pain. She said that the rank then bent over and instructed her to slap his buttocks, much to the amusement of other ranks at the station.
The woman said some moments later she managed to get into the compound but ranks there refused to take a report as she attempted to have them record the actions of the traffic rank. She said that as she attempted to take meals for her son still in custody, around 10: 40 am yesterday, ranks there refused to take the meals, despite complaints by her son that he was very hungry.
The woman said that several efforts to obtain a medical certificate from the police station to take to the hospital were turned down flat by ranks there as well. She said in desperation she visited the Lenora Police Station and tried to get one there, but after explaining what the traffic rank had done, they too refused to give her the medical.
Kaieteur News contacted the police station yesterday and spoke with Traffic Rank Archer who at first said the business woman was telling lies.
However when the reporter indicated that there was a video circulating of him, bending over and instructing the woman to slap his buttocks he softened, and admitted that his actions were inappropriate and disrespectful. He also agreed that he acted outside of his jurisdiction as a police officer.
Yesterday this publication spoke with at least four residents who all indicated that this particular traffic rank was arrogant and would normally use excessive force on members of the public.
Andrew Luther of Parika told this publication that on Saturday night last he witnessed an incident where Archer and a female rank locked the gates and beat a prisoner who appeared to be intoxicated. He said they took off a main light in the station but there was enough lighting for him to see what transpired from outside.
He said the man was beaten with a baton and was punched several times in the face before the lights were turned back on some time later.
It is said that this victim is still in the police station.
Kaieteur News also spoke with another male at the station who admitted that the woman’s son was in custody. He did not deny the fact that they had refused the requests of the reputed wife to drop the matter, but did indicate that at that police station they preferred to have a zero tolerance approach to cases of domestic abuse.
