(Trinidad Express) One of three police officers assigned to the Morvant Police Station, who are before a disciplinary tribunal on charges of neglect of duty, has pleaded guilty. In what is an historic ruling, the guilty officer has been fined two days pay, approximately TT$520, for this neglect.
The officer, a corporal, entered a guilty plea before the disciplinary tribunal headed by Snr Supt Christopher Lewis, head of the North Eastern Division, at the Morvant Police Station two weeks ago. All fines from disciplinary tribunals are placed into the Police Award Fund.
The matter will come up again for hearing on Thursday, for mention, where a trial date for the sergeant and constable is expected to be set. Statements were obtained by the investigator Supt Nanan from the rape victim, her mother and others including the three officers.
A source told the Express that there was overwhelming evidence which led Insp Sheeraz Ali to lay charges against the three police officers in the absence of their reports.
The charges against the officers stemmed from an incident, reported exclusively in the Express, in which a 23-year-old rape victim claimed she was turned away from the Morvant Police Station when she showed up without clothing for help on November 14 last year. The woman claimed she was further “emotionally raped” by police, when she went to the station to seek help and was instead turned away because she was naked.
Last December, the three officers were served with notices by Supt Baldeo Nanan that they were being investigated in connection with the incident.
After Nanan completed his probe, Insp Ali charged the sergeant with failing to supervise officers under his charge while the corporal and constable were charged with neglect of duty.
Contacted last night a senior source confirmed that this case is historic in that it is the first time a police officer has been charged with turning away a rape victim from a police station. It was also explained that the quantum of the fine is at the discretion of the investigating officer.
