The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

A HAITIAN detainee who was allegedly severely beaten by immigration officers has been deported, his lawyer Martin Lundy said yesterday.

Mr Lundy told The Tribune he last spoke with the 31-year-old on Monday and only received confirmation yesterday that Fegens Laguerre had been sent back to Haiti. He said he remained unclear about the circumstances surrounding the removal.

Mr Lundy previously said he observed apparent physical injuries when he visited Mr Laguerre at the Detention Centre last Monday. He said his client struggled to walk upright, complained of dizziness and spine pain, and said doctors told him he had “died twice” while receiving medical care after he was allegedly punched, slapped and beaten about the face and body by immigration officers.

Before that visit, Mr Laguerre’s whereabouts were unknown for three days after a court appearance the previous weekend, as relatives received conflicting information about whether he was being held at the Detention Centre, the Prison, or a hospital.

A detainee who was released and housed in the same dormitory told people in the Haitian community he saw Mr Laguerre being carried out and believed he was deceased.

Residents in the area where Mr Laguerre lived described him as polite, sociable and hardworking, with strong ties to family overseas.

Mr Lundy had demanded a full investigation into the allegations of abuse. He said yesterday he learned of the deportation only moments before The Tribune contacted him and still lacked key details.

“Unceremoniously just deported the man,” Mr Lundy said. He added that after the alleged beating and the uncertainty over his location, Mr Laguerre had said he wanted to leave the country.

“He wanted to go home. He did not want to stay in The Bahamas. He was terrified and he actually expressed that to us when we were in the Detention Centre that he wanted to get out of the country as quickly as possible,” Mr Lundy said. “You only can advise some things to a client, but it is on them to make a decision.”

Mr Lundy said that until the government is required to answer before the courts for what happens to detainees who report abuse, such cases will continue.

An immigration official told The Tribune he would provide an update on the matter, but did not do so before press time. The department has also not addressed the allegations of abuse, despite saying it would.