The PNCR has condemned the torture of a 15-year-old boy and demanded an immediate response from Commissioner of Police Henry Greene on the case.
The opposition party in its statement said, “The PNCR condemns the most recent reported acts of torture by ranks of the Guyana Police Force on a [15-year-old] while in their custody a few days ago. The shocking photographs published in the Kaieteur News today, Saturday October 31, 2009, provide evidence of the reprehensible conduct of the ranks, allegedly from the Leonora police station, and require an immediate response from the Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene.”
No justification, the PNCR said yesterday, can be offered for such “brutal acts”. This brutal act, according to the opposition party, during which the police allegedly set alight the youth’s genital area after soaking it with methylated spirits, “only confirms that the culture of the force permits such behavior”.
Condemning this act, which has outraged many, the PNCR said the state of mind of the accused police ranks “needs investigation and the incident suggests the need for serious psychological evaluation of members of the GPF [Guyana Police Force]”.
In an earlier statement the PNCR said it noted that People’s Progressive Party/Civic officials, “appear to be suffering from paranoia whenever the issue of torture in Guyana is mentioned.” The administration, it further said, which is a signatory to the UN Convention Against Torture, “seems comfortable with the state of affairs in Guyana.”
The refusal of the Jagdeo Administration, the PNCR said, to take condign action whenever such cases are reported has conveyed the impression to the security forces that such behaviour is acceptable. The second paragraph of Article Two of UN Convention clearly states that, “No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.” The Convention, the statement continued to explain, therefore places a direct obligation on the Government to respond positively to ensure that the provisions are not breached.
The brutal torture of Edwin Niles while in the custody of the Guyana Prison Service and the reluctance of either the security forces or the Government to take any action until there was a public outcry was also pointed out by the party. The PNCR also noted that to date there has been no explanation or known investigation by security forces into the reported torture of Patrick Sumner, Victor Jones and David Zammit also known as David Leander.
In January 2008, the PNCR recalled, army personnel, Michael Dunn, Alvin Wilson and Sharth Robertson, made public their allegations of being tortured by senior officers within the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and subsequently the Government announced the appointment of a Board of Inquiry within the GDF.
“The Government”, the statement continued, “covered up this matter by refusing to publish the report of the so-called inquiry and Mr. Robert Persaud, Minister of Agriculture, chose to disrespect the National Assembly by defending the GDF torture as “roughing up”. The attitude of the PPP/C Administration in condoning torture was further highlighted by their prolonged refusal to debate a motion on torture brought to the National Assembly by the PNCR. When the motion was finally debated, it was evident that the PPP had no remorse or any respect for the people of Guyana.”
