MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 9, 2014 GOVTS’ INACTION SERVES TO ENTRENCH CULTURE OF POLICE ABUSE Civil lobby group CITIZENS’ ACTION FOR PRINCIPLE AND INTEGRITY (CAPI) asserts that the tragic and untimely death of 31 yr old construction worker, Mario Deane, is another casualty of governments’ failure to ensure that those who act in its name respect the rights of poor Jamaicans. It argues that governments’ inaction serves to entrench the culture of police abuse with impunity. Mario Deane succumbed to his injuries at the Cornwall Regional Hospital after suffering a beating at the Barnett Street lockup in St. James. The Barnett Street lockups are reserved for low risk inmates charged with minor offenses. The police claim Mr. Deane was allegedly beaten by cellmates. The group argues that the responses of Ministers Golding and Bunting since Mario’s death are found wanting and fall short of addressing the critical issue of the culture of abuse in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and to unequivocally express their intolerance and condemnation. Mario’s death was not caused by his arrest for a ganja spliff, on the contrary, his death is a direct result of the indifference shown and failure by those empowered by the State to respect his fundamental rights and freedom as a Jamaican citizen, the group asserts. According to co-convenor Dennis Meadows, the differing claims forthcoming from the police as to the cause of Mario’s death screams cover up. It is implausible that Mario and his surety (Castelle McKenzie) failed to cooperate during the bail process aimed at facilitating his immediate release from custody on the eve of a holiday. “Mr. McKenzie is known to me in excess of 20 years as a decent human being and I am prepared to take his word over those of the police in an instant. Mr. Castelle reported to me that Mario’s bail process was arbitrarily aborted by a w/corporal of police after he made some comments of sorts that he was not fond of the police. He was told by the corporal that he should return at 5pm as she will be holding Mr. Deane for another 2 hours to teach him a lesson.” Mr. Meadows further states that his close inspection of the cell (#4), as a Justice of the Peace, makes it unpalatable to swallow that Mr. Deane’s alleged beating by cellmates was not heard by police personnel assigned to duty to the cell block; and he view with suspicion the fact that Mr. Deane, charged for a ganja spliff, was guarded by the three (3) police personnel while in an unconscious state at the hospital. CAPI believes that until personal legal liability is extended to the police there will be continued disregard and contempt for the fundamental rights of average Jamaicans. The civil group renews its call for the government to enacted legislation to facilitate the exposure of personal legal liability to agents of the state who blatantly abridge the rights of Jamaicans. The law must recognize that while that policeman acts on behalf of the State in the execution of his duties, if that officer acts outside of the law by abusing the rights of those who he is sworn to protect and serve, it must be deemed he is not acting on behalf of his employer (the State), and therefore, is legally liable for any damages, states CAPI. Compensation The civil lobby group asserts that while it is unclear as to who beat Mario to death, it is an incontrovertible fact that he died in State’s custody, which makes it liable for any damages. The group, therefore, urges the government to cause that Mario’s family be compensated as a gesture of decency and not be put through the indignity of a costly civil suit. The group also requests of the government that it underwrite the costs of Mario Deane’s internment. https://soundcloud/dennismeadowsja/voice-dennis-meadows-080914
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 19:43:48 +0000
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