Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
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Alleged police brutality, sodomy… Victim seeks $100M in damages
By Rabindra Rooplall and Tiffanne Ramphal
Sharon Harding, the mother of the 23-year-old who was allegedly brutalized by a policeman stationed at Timehri Police Station, has initiated the legal process of suing the Guyana Police Force for the assault and injury caused to her son.
The woman and her son, Colwyn Harding, are being represented by the Hughes, Fields and Stoby Law Firm. She is demanding the institution of criminal charges and compensation in the sum of $100 Million. Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes has informed that the demand, in written form, was delivered to the Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell on Monday last.
Attorney-at-Law
Nigel Hughes
According to the suit filed, “the Guyana Police Force has infringed the guaranteed constitutional rights of our client to protection from inhumane treatment and protection of his right to personal liberty.”
The document made reference to a recent decision made by a senior High Court Judge, Honourable Justice William Ramlal, who had awarded the sum of $2Million to be paid for the wrongful detention of a citizen who had been detained without being placed in a cell for four hours.
It was further stated that the State offered to pay $500,000 for the four hours and noted that on that judicial pronouncement, a citizen is entitled to $12Million for each day of his wrongful detention.
“We are instructed to point out that given what the Attorney General acting on your (Brumell) behalf was prepared to pay the sum of $500,000 for four hours detention, this computes to the sum of $3,000,000 per day for the wrongful detention, then our client is entitled no less for just his detention.”
Further, in addition to the wrongful four-day detention, the gravity of the situation and the failure of the Guyana Police Force to act were cited, resulting in the demand for compensation in the amount of $100 Million.
The Police Commissioner was, in the letter, cautioned that failure to comply with the request within seventy-two hours of receipt will result in the institution of constitutional and other processions without further notice.
The story was broken last week Friday by Kaieteur News.
Meanwhile, Hughes informed that the case against Harding was called at the Providence Magistrates’ Court on Monday last on counts of assaulting a peace officer and disorderly conduct. He was placed on bail in the sum of $50,000 for the offences since November 15.
Hughes said that his family was unable to raise the sum and he was remanded to prison. However, currently he is under guard at the hospital where he remains a patient.
Regarding the Constable who performed the act against Harding, Kaieteur News was informed that the Police Commissioner said that he has been transferred from the Timehri Police Station pending the outcome of the investigation. According to him, an Officer of Professional Responsibility is investigating the matter.
At the same time, Hughes informed that “the victim’s (Harding) defense team have commenced their own independent investigation with a view of filing private criminal charges in the event that the Police fail to institute any criminal charges by next week Wednesday.”
Harding claims that on Friday, November 15, 2013, he was violently assaulted by several police officers at a home in Timehri North where he was staying at the time, and later at the Timehri Police Station.
He alleges that he was beaten by a Constable and other officers into a state of unconsciousness twice, and was sodomised by a condom-covered baton resulting in serious injury to his intestines.
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