The Tribune

BY LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

CHIEF Superintendent Michael Johnson said police are still investigating a Jamaican woman’s claim that she was sexually assaulted and abused at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre in November and may need to speak to people outside the country before completing their probe.

A 40-year-old Jamaican woman and her 11-year-old son were released from custody in late December after The Tribune contacted immigration officials, and people from the Jamaican Consulate in The Bahamas got involved to ask about her condition.

The woman said she was sexually assaulted in immigration custody and continually abused after complaining about an officer’s actions.

Yesterday, the woman said an officer visited her last week with photos of potential suspects. She said her alleged assailant was not among those shown.

The pregnant woman said she still suffers back and foot pain from the alleged beatings.

“Sometimes, I can’t eat just imagining what I go through,” she said, adding that her son is afraid to leave the house, fearing a potential encounter with immigration officers.

“I tell him to go the Carnival. He say ‘no’ and I tell him that he have to try go outside and enjoy the world but he don’t want to go outside,” she said. “He said he don’t wanna go back cuz he scared. He don’t know if they going to come back for him or what’s going to happen.”

The woman said she wants police to speed up their investigation, adding: “I don’t think they are doing enough. This is like two months now and the person is still at work doing their thing. They still doing everything.”