Dear Editor,
The Guyana Police Force is responding to an article published in the Kaieteur News of Tuesday April 20, 2010, under the caption ‘Woman alleges beating at the hands of cop.’
The article dealt with an allegation made by one Jennifer Thomas that she had been struck to her face with a bottle by a policeman in plain clothes in the Stabroek Market area on Saturday. April 17, 2010. She is also quoted as stating that she had subsequently gone to the Brickdam Police Station in the company of her uncle, Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Robert Williams, to make an official report and that a rank at the station had informed her that her attacker was a member of the police Quick Reaction Unit.
Upon being aware of the article, investigations were conducted by the police which revealed that one Jennifer Thomas of Stevedore Hosing Scheme, Georgetown, had gone to the Brickdam Police Station at 22:28h on Friday April 16, 2010, accompanied by a male companion, and reported that at 22:10h on that day three police ranks in a white car had confronted her and one of them had struck her to her face with a bottle at Brickdam, Stabroek.
This was on Friday April 16, 2010 and not Saturday April 17, 2010 as stated in the article.
Injuries were seen to her face and she was sent to the GPHC for medical attention. Statements were subsequently taken from her and her male companion and a medical report was obtained and lodged with the police.
From the investigations it appears that Jennifer Thomas made an assumption that the person who attacked her was a policeman, but there has been no evidence that it was a policeman and so far she has been unable to identify anyone.
Further Deputy Mayor Robert Williams has contacted the police and denied being her uncle and that he had accompanied her to the Brickdam Police Station to make the report. The ranks on duty at the station on the night of the incident have also denied telling Jennifer Thomas that the person who attacked her was a member of the Police Quick Reaction Unit.
The Guyana Police Force is requesting that members of the media make contact with the police to hear their side on a matter before publication. Contact can be made with the Police Public Relations and Press Officer on telephone numbers 225-5401 and 227-2685.
Yours faithfully,
Ivelaw Whittaker
Public Relations and Press Officer
Guyana Police Force