The family and friends of Asif Khatoon the Meten-Meer-Zorg fisherman who was beaten to death allegedly at the hands of police at the Leonora Police Station continued their protest yesterday in front of Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, along with several social activists.
As a result, Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud extended his sympathies to Soorsattie Chandrapaul, the man’s widow, and promised her that a full investigation will be conducted.
Activist Mark Benschop said the commissioner told him that the police findings will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions and the force is doing everything to solve this tragedy.
Braving the sun yesterday were Khatoon’s four children. Shaneeza, 19; Nareefa, 17; Shelleza 8; and his only son Saif, 14. The man’s children had previously battled the rain in front of the Leonora Police Station last Saturday and they are hoping that justice will meet their father’s killers.
The eldest girls Shaneeeza and Nareefa told Stabroek News they are disheartened that policemen whose duty is to serve and protect can do something so sickening to their beloved father.
Nareefa said this madness will continue and it needs to stop because the next time it will be someone else’s relative.
The girls said they will miss their father’s ice-cream trips and his jovial personality.
The girls it is hard for all of them especially their eight-year-old sister, because she was close to the father and had a limited amount of time with him.
They debunked the reports that it was prisoners who had beaten their father to death and maintained it was the police.
His son, Saif, said he will miss his father’s fishing trips.
Latchen Daewoo, 32, a neighbour, said the protest will not stop until justice is served. The man then continued to chant along with other protestors, “We want justice, police brutality must stop.”
Meanwhile, Benschop said the hierarchy of the police force must send a message to the ranks. “They are there to serve and protect, not to beat and kill, they are not judge, jury and executioner,” Benschop said.
He added that if a policeman brutalises a citizen, that officer should be dismissed immediately. He said psychological evaluation and counselling should be available to members of the force because a lot of them seem to be suffering from deep psychological issues and they are taking it out on the people they arrest.
The police issued a press release yesterday, which said that a post-mortem examination performed on Khatoon revealed that he had died of multiple injuries.
