By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A PREGNANT Jamaican woman claimed she was sexually assaulted in immigration custody and continually abused after complaining about an officer’s actions.
She claimed an officer touched her sexually without her consent.
The 40-year-old woman, who had reportedly been detained since November 11, was released from custody yesterday afternoon after The Tribune contacted immigration officials and persons from the Jamaican Consulate in The Bahamas got involved.
Her lawyers also applied yesterday for leave to issue a writ of habeas corpus concerning her. The application said she was never charged with a crime despite being detained for 40 days with her 11-year-old son.
An affidavit from the woman’s Bahamian fiance accompanied the application.
It said: “I have also been reliably informed through an anonymous caller who claims to be an immigration officer that the applicants have both been physically abused and that the first applicant has been sexually assaulted by an immigration officer at this undisclosed facility.”
The identities of the people involved have been withheld to protect the alleged victims.
Assistant Director of Immigration Peter Joseph confirmed to The Tribune that the woman complained to the police, who are investigating her claims, but said she produced no evidence of her allegations.
The alleged victim tearfully recounted her experience and forwarded pictures purporting to show bruises on her body. They showed faint black marks on her arms, and her hair appeared badly cut.
She said officers claimed that her injuries were self-inflicted, but she insisted she had no access to objects to harm herself.
“They say I’m a mad woman,” she said. “I didn’t have scissors in there. I don’t have those cutting tools to do my hair like that, and the officer hold me and cut my hair and they take me for a mockery because they say I is a mad woman.”
She said the abuse began the day after she and her son were taken into custody for allegedly overstaying. They arrived in September.
She said even though she is out of detention, she occasionally breaks down in tears and wants counselling for her and her son.
“They treat me real bad,” she said. “I’ve never been in this drama. I don’t know how I got in this.”
“You can check my records in Jamaica. I never been to jail. I never do nothing bad. I don’t know how I get myself in this.”
She claimed she didn’t see doctors until two weeks after the alleged incident.
She also accused officers of beating her son.
“My child see immigration beating me and tried to help me. They push him. My son’s face is scrub up,” she said. She showed The Tribune photos of bruises on her son’s face.
The woman said some officers sympathised with her and helped her.
Comments
Sickened 11 months, 1 week ago
Sad. Cheaper she lives in Jamaica, where it's safe.
bahamianson 11 months, 1 week ago
So your son had bruises, was he also sexually attacked. Did the officer beat him then put him in a room, then sexually attack you?
birdiestrachan 11 months ago
The pictures do not show much. The matter should be investigate she should know who the officer is and name him . If she is here illegsly she should be sent home. When the Un people visited the place was she able to speak to them.
birdiestrachan 11 months ago
Who are her lawyers this story lacks information
ThisIsOurs 11 months ago
Hmm.. this is horrific.
She claims someone touched her, rape would be hard to prove, touching even more so. How in 2023 can there be no camera system in a detention facility to corroborate these claims?
An ASP recently made a woman walking down the street the subject of his vulgar sexual assault. After she rejected his advance, he punched her with so much force he detached her retina. He then had her arrested for apparently the crime of embarrasing him publicly, ordering his subordinates to take her to his station, reportedly exploding in anger when she was taken to another station. What could he have wanted to achieve by having the woman behind closed doors under his control? The Police Commissioner's only response to date has been one statement to basically imply that something wrong with the woman. In reality, it doesnt matter if she was a criminal, a drug addict, a prostitute, literally insane or participating voluntarily in a sex act, she was viciously attacked. By an officer. And she had pictures to prove it.
This lady unfortunately was "only" touched and "what bruises"? Thats the best response we can come up with for an alledged sexual assault.
We need to come to the realization that male behaviour is changing and at least try to re-socialize young boys. I believe there's too much loose sex talk, sex innuendo and sex jokes on radio making men feel that access to a woman is their right. Even if the woman has no interest.
Why was her hair cut? This was a practice we heard about in the 80s with sole purpose to humiliate rastafarians under detention. This would be psychologically devastating for a woman. Why would anyone need to cut a womans hair for a visa overstay? Why was she detained for 40 days? Flights to Jamaica are easy to obtain.
Horrific because its so ordinary.
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