Allegations of police brutality in the Cayman Islands

Friday, March 12, 2004

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: According to reports by Radio Cayman, an unnamed man has reportedly alleged that he was beaten by police officers while he was arrested in an effort to get him to say certain things to the police about a recent murder.

Attorney Micki Jafa Bodden told Magistrate Ramsey-Hale that as an officer of the court she was obliged to bring a matter to the court's attention.

She said that a man had come to her office and was present in court at that moment. She said that he was frightened of the police because they had forced him to say certain things about a recent murder.

She said the man was in police custody for a period of time during which four young non-Caymanian policemen relentlessly beat and tortured him.

Miss Jafa-Bodden said that the man claimed to have been beaten so badly about the ears that he has difficulty hearing and that he had been beaten on the soles of his feet with a police baton.

Miss Jafa-Bodden said that the man wanted to address the magistrate, but the magistrate declined and recommended that the matter be referred to other more appropriate authorities. 

Crown Counsel Adam Roberts told Radio Cayman that he had referred the matter to the deputy commissioner of police and the Attorney General.

In an unrelated matter, Magistrate Ramsey-Hale denied an application by a former police officer to have his prosecution stayed as an abuse of process.

The officer is privately charged with grievous bodily harm. He is accused of hitting a handcuffed civilian, blinding him in the eye. 

Lawyers for the complainant presented evidence to a justice of the peace, who formally charged the former police officer and issued a warrant for his arrest.

Magistrate Ramsey-Hale ruled that it was no abuse of the court's process and that the justice of the peace was properly seized of the matter when he charged the defendant. And that he properly exercised his power to compel the defendant to come before the court.

She also ruled that a jury should determine the matter.

It is not known why the prosecution in this case was not undertaken by the Attorney General.

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