A/HRC/16/52/Add.3
already been convicted but were sent back to the police station by the judge. For the police
officers it seemed to be too cumbersome to take a detainee from the remand centre to court,
so they were kept in police lock-ups, which were closer to the courts. If somebody
complained of abuse, the officers reportedly advised them of their rights and took them to
the doctor. However, according to the officers, there had been no complaints within the last
two months.
Individual cases
21.
Aldy Cameron, aged 35, had been detained on 9 December 2009. At 3:45 a.m., he
had heard a shot fired outside his home. Approximately 30 police officers kicked open the
door and proceeded to detain him. His girlfriend had also been detained, but had since been
released. Upon arrest, he was shackled and beaten. His girlfriend was also beaten and had a
miscarriage as a result. Upon arrival at the mobile reserve police post, his clothes were
removed. He was beaten with a baton; a cattle-prod was used on his testicles, stomach and
neck; and water was thrown at him. This took place for about 45 minutes, as the officers
questioned him about a past robbery and possible future robberies. He was held there for
eight hours, and then transferred to Constant Spring Police Station, where he had not been
interrogated or beaten. Upon arrival at Constant Spring, he complained to the officer in
charge about the ill-treatment, but was not taken to the hospital. He had not been presented
before a judge, as he was waiting for an ID parade. With regard to the conditions of
detention, he noted that there were seven persons in his cell, that it was hot, that there was
only proper drinking water at certain times, and that he had to ask an officer to use the
toilet. He indicated that the detainees had been told that “some people were coming”, and
thus the cells were much cleaner than usual. Concerning the guards, he stated that they were
police officers and that no one was beaten. He had been visited by a lawyer, but they met in
an office with a police officer present. Finally, he complained about the lack of fresh air,
and the fact that they had to spend most of their time inside the cells.
22.
Fitzroy Matthias, aged 30, had been arrested on 28 December 2009, was taken to
Spanish Town and later to Constant Spring. At the time of the arrest, 12 jeeps stopped his
car, and several officers threatened to kill him, but the superintendent stopped them. He was
handcuffed, but not shackled. He added that his lawyer had been present during the
interrogation, but complained that he could not see his family when they visited him.
Remandees were normally forced to sign their statements. He had been before a judge on
two occasions. He complained about the lack of electricity in his cell, which was the
smallest at the station, and the fact that he had to call an officer to go to the bathroom. He
was examined by a doctor upon a judge’s order, but the examination took place in the
presence of a police inspector. He had been first arrested in 1998, and had spent two years
in remand custody. At the time, he was beaten by a police officer at Spanish Town in order
to obtain the name of the person who had committed the crime. He had been arrested
several times afterwards, but did not remember any other beatings.
23.
Leon Edith, aged 30, had been arrested in August 2009 by a sergeant and brought to
Constant Spring. Upon his arrest, the police tried to make him run away to shoot him but he
did not leave. He had been handcuffed to a bar in a room and interrogated by four officers
(among which one was from the Murder Investigation Team (MIT)) who beat him on the
ears with their hands, and on the body with batons. He was punched in the stomach and on
the chest by an officer with a small baton as he refused to sign a paper. One officer took
pictures. After he had been on ID parade he was again forced to sign a paper, but he
refused. He was harassed two more times for that purpose and beaten on the ears. He did
not complain to the judge when he met him in September, since the police would deny it.
He also thought there was no reason to talk to the Public Defender. At the tribunal, the main
witness was also the police officer who arrested him. He was going to go to court again the
following Monday. Concerning the conditions, he complained that the inmates only had 20
23
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