BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A female Recruit of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force has accused a Corporal (CPL) of physically abusing her and is calling on her superiors for justice.
Information reaching SKNVibes indicates that a female Recruit, who is scheduled to report for training tomorrow (Oct. 27), was allegedly beaten by a male CPL at the Basseterre Police Station on Monday, October 25, 2010.
A relative of the alleged victim, under the condition of anonymity, told this media house that the female had reported to a certain department on the night in question to complete a given task.
“At about 8:30 p.m. on Monday, my cousin reported for duty and had reported to the Sergeant (SGT) while he was in the hallway before commencing her task of updating the crime book. She then went into the office to start her work. Shortly after, a male Corporal entered and a female Constable handed him a note to record in one of two diaries that were on my cousin’s desk.
“After recording the note, the CPL placed the diary in front of him at his desk. My cousin then went over to his desk, picked up the diary and returned to her desk to continue extracting information. The CPL asked her if she was working but she did not reply. So he went across to her desk, took up both diaries and placed them on his desk,” the relative said.
The relative stated that his cousin used her cell phone to inform the SGT and also the Inspector who heads the department about the incident. He further stated that the Inspector called the CPL on the department’s phone and spoke to him about the matter, and he subsequently instructed the female to take the diary and continue her task.
“However, when my cousin went to pick up the diary the CPL told her not to touch it and she asked him, ‘So what are you going to do?’ He then reached to his side and pulled out his service gun and hit her hand with the muzzle. He then pointed the gun towards her with his finger close to the trigger.
“My cousin told him that she was going to make a report against him for battery, after which she a tried to pick up the diary but the CPL hit her once more, but this time on her right thumb. She then picked up the diary and turned to return to her desk but the CPL took it away from her, grabbed her right hand and started twisting it while still being seated. He got up from behind the desk, while still twisting her hand, pushed her towards a file cabinet and started punching her in her head and face,” the relative added.
He claimed that the CPL held her by the throat and kept punching her while she desperately fought to defend herself.
The relative further claimed that his cousin told him five officers were also in the office during the incident “but none of them offered her any assistance or said anything”. He added that she sustained a wound over her left eye, a swollen face and a swollen right hand.
He said she immediately reported the matter to the Inspector by phone and also to a female SGT who was on duty in the Guardroom. She was taken to the JNF Hospital, where she was treated for her injuries.
“My cousin suffers from migraine and the encounter has left her with severe headaches. She is also traumatised and afraid to sleep because of nightmares. We, the family members, want justice. Police officers are mandated to serve and protect. They are peacekeepers and it is unfair and also a crime for a member of the force to physically abuse someone, more so a female Recruit who intends to serve in the same organisation as her abuser,” he concluded.
When contacted, Joseph Liburd, the Assistant Commissioner with responsibility for Crime, told this media house that the matter was reported to the top brass but he could not comment because it is currently under investigations.
