Three police officers who were allegedly involved in the beating of a 10-year-old boy at the Stubbs Police Station on Sunday have been suspended from duty.
The officers, a corporal and two constables, will receive half pay pending the outcome of the investigation into the allegation, the Police Public Relations and Complaint Department said in a statement on Tuesday.
The statement said that acting Commissioner of Police, Enville Williams suspended the three police officers.
Police are asking anyone with information that can assist the investigation is encouraged to contact the Calliaqua Police Station at 1-784-458-4200, Police Emergency at 911/999, or any police station or officer you are comfortable speaking with. Information received would be treated confidentially.
The alleged beating became public around 7:47 p.m. on Sunday when a woman who identified herself as Rosita Phillips appeared in a Facebook live video saying she was outside the Stubbs Police Station.
Phillips said police had locked up her 10-year-old son that afternoon, alleging that he had gone into someone’s yard and taken their bike.
She said she went to the police station to find out what was going on and the officers released the child to her and told her they would investigate the matter.
Phillips said that when she was in the yard of the police station, the child told her that his back was hurting.
“Two police officer beat my child. If you see the bruise and dem in ye back and all thing,” she said, speaking in the Vincentian vernacular.
“I calling on authority who listening me now and who seeing this. I don’t satisfy. If you see the condition of my child’s back,” she said.
In the same Facebook live video, a man who referred to Phillips as “mommy” asked the child to say what had happened.
The child said that he went into somebody’s yard and removed a bike that was there.
“And then police come down by Diamond and meet me riding the bike and they tek me and hold me by me hand and bring me by the station,” the child said in the Vincentian vernacular.
“Then them tell me fuh siddung pon top the bench. Then one ye corporal tek off he belt and start to beat me. Then the other fat one been going tek off he leather belt to come and beat me but dem puh down that and the thin one gi the fat one ye belt fuh beat me,” the child said.
Responding to questions from the adult male, the child further said that he was crying during the beating.
The child said that he did not think that what he had done was right but that he also did not do anything to be beaten by the police.
He said he did not give them attitude, back answer or said anything out of place to them and did not know why they had beaten him.
Further, Phillips said in the video that she had asked a corporal of police at the station the names of the police officers allegedly involved and for a report of medical injury form.
A report of medical injury form is a document that police give to people who allege that they have been assaulted.
The complainant would take it to a doctor who would conduct a medical examination and record the findings on the form, which is then returned to police.
The doctor’s findings help police to decide what charges, if any, to bring against an accused person.
“And all ah dem going in the station and leave me in the yard sit down,” Phillips said, adding that she cannot walk or see.
“I want to know what to do this hour… I need help … This is the way that police serve and protect?”
Come on officers, this is where you cautioni the kid, and raise funds to get him a bicycle, show him true community spirit
This is totally unacceptable of the police behavior, I am speaking from a former Police standpoint, the first that these police failed to do, was to contact the parent of the little boy, secondly even if they caught with the bike he should not be questioned without the presence of his parent,because he is a juvenile, much let to be beaten by the officers, flogging of the child should only happen if the parent authorized it, or by a magistrate if he is taken to a juvenile court .
If the boy admitted to taken the bike without the consent of the owner, and they caught him, warned him about the consequences of his action, and educate him about the serious nature of what he did, this will work much better than beating him and abusivethe child like a criminal unacceptable, the concern citizens should join together and bring a civil suit against them and let them pay for their ignorance and dumb behavior, hence the reason why the public and the police could never develop a good Police Public relationship because of these illiterate criminal in uniform, during my years as a police officer, background checks was a plays a strong part of your recruitment but nowadays any undesirable is now wearing the once prestige uniform. Weed out the criminal outnof the Force and charge them criminally for their actions.
The RSPF isnot but a rogue set of individuals who are employed to abuse and trampled on the human rights of Vincentians. Small wonder why no sane person in St Vincent has any confidence in ghe RSPF.
Let me remind you just in case you suffer from dementia that recently it was alleged that a police on duty loan his firearm to a civilian to intimdate him. Another Junior Constable, Stroyson Soleyn was charged in an an alleged rape case. These are the type of men we have in uniform and are charged with protecting citizens.
We hear often of some officers casting a blind eye in criminal offences committed by their fellow Comrade in arms. It is a truism that a lot of the officers hail from a particular constituency in the Windward side of the island and are employed because of nepotism and having a degree of loyalty to a certain political party.
No we are hearing about this allegation. about the men in uniform are no different to the mongoose gang that paraded Grenada during the Eric Gairy regime. For that the Black Squad have some similaries. We are waiting the outcome of this investigation.
Ken, you need to improve your transcription of we patois:
“ If you see the bruise and dem in ye back and all thing” should have been “If you see de bruise an’ dem in ey back an’ t’ing.”
I’m sure de boy mumma also said “Dem dun gie de poor boy licks like fiah.”
The officers were totally wrong. He is a child of a tender age, yes taking someone property is very wrong and he should have been scolded, then the parent has to accept responsibility for the property he took. But to beat him till his skin tear and has whelps all over it, told how vicious they beat that child. Also do these officers not know the law??? You cannot question a minor without the presence of their guardian or parent. Am glad the commissioner acted quickly n suspended them. No some moral in Vincy taking place.
Patois is a difficult language to understand. Some I get but I am not if I understand it 100%.
I don’t know why police belive that they have the right to hit someone physically, much less a10yr old child. Sickening to say the least. Some of them can’t even hit their own children but wants to constantly be abusive towards the same public they expect to help them solve crimes. I hope the day will never come in SVG when civilian will start taking out police like in some other countries.
Thieving bwoy haffi learn. Nice job by the police to render the rod of correction on his ass.
Brilliant
Wonder if they beat yours if you would show how illiterate you are, sorry to bigger word Dotish more your level
Why do you keep repeating “Vincentian vernacular”. Also if you’re writing it as they speak, shouldn’t “them” be “dem”?. Just saying……… stuuuupes!
The boy was cat tailed . However, no better the beef no better the barrel. The police in St vincent have their own devils as it was alleged in the Iwitness news report that a police loan his firearm to a civilian to intimdate him. Another Iwitness news Reported and is still allegged that Junior Constable, Stroyson Soleyn was charged in an alleged rape case.
It would appear that the police in St vincent are not obedient yo the laws and behave as though they are the laws themselves. This beg ghe question as to why the youth was cat tailed or abused in the manner Reported? Why? It would appear that the men in uniform are a bunch of rogue cops who have gone astray.
Stfu ,I am assuming u don’t hve kids, I hope u don’t, smfh
and if he did it that’s not fking way ,they picked him up call the parents or guardian, question and make a report in front the parent , then proceed from there , beating the child and cause bruises on him like that is unacceptable, cause if the mother or any other did that to him , they would’ve gotten in trouble ,
The licks should have been delivered on his bum to avoid the bruises. Had they let him out without taking any action, then what? The mother would have done nothing to stop her son from stealing another bike.
This is where the police use discipline to bring this child out of a criminal atmosphere. I am sure he will never try stealing anything again because he knows if he’s caught, he will be flogged.
Why are some people defending a ten-year-old who wants to start a criminal attitude which could develop into a more dangerous entity.
What the police have done is exactly what the parents, teachers and adults should do to ensure the children grow up to be good citizens.
Why would anyone buy a bike for a youth who stole one. This is just encouraging others to do the same thing to get a bike.
Some years later the police may have to go after this sane 10-year-old with guns for a crime he committed. Guess what! He would probably be killed during the encounter.
Na fo get we are yard slaves, we go do wa ah we massa will like . Pray dis child forgive them so dat karma find dem swiftly.
Would you have voiced that said comment if that child was yours?
Yes, he was damn wrong to take the peoples’ bicycle but the police had to right to lay hands on him much lest injuring him like they did.
Kind words, stern rebuking moral support and a path to good guidance can reverse course. The child clearly needs such and it appears that it is difficult for the mother to provide because of her medical condition and blindness.
We need to have empathy as a community on a whole. Remember “it takes a village to raise a child”.
This could be your time to shine in extending a hand in the form of at least voicing kind words.
The police should be held accountable for their actions. They are not above the law .
Next…beating public officials who teef!!!
My child would and should have received the same punishment. My mother had my godfather (Clement Phillips) put some licks on me one evening. I am still trying to remember what I did that was wrong. That was then, when discipline was part of our upbringing. No all a dhat gone!
Today in the US a woman was found guilty of her son’s crimes because she failed to discipline him or help him with mental problems.
All the excuses you folks are making are not helpful in reducing the crimes in SVG.