Investigations of police killings in Jamaica a farce says Amnesty Int’l
Thursday, April 15, 2004
LONDON, England: New information concerning
the recent collapse of the trial of the police officer accused of killing
13-year-old Janice Allen highlights the way in which police officers who kill
are protected by the system, Amnesty International said Wednesday.
A primary reason for the collapse of the case was the lack of evidence linking
the police officer to the gun that killed Janice Allen due to the "loss" of
records documenting the issuing of guns.
"That this evidence was not immediately
secured by the investigating officers shows a lack of understanding of the
most basic procedures for the investigation of police killings and a gross
dereliction of duty" Amnesty International said.
The Prosecution would have been able to link
the officer to the gun via the testimony of one of the investigating officers,
Detective Sergeant Dunchie, but told the court that the officer was not going
to be in the country for some time. However, the Detective was in Jamaica and
remained a serving police officer.
Amnesty International is calling for a full
investigation into how the Prosecution needlessly sabotaged its own case based
on wrong information.
"The investigation needs to show who gave
the incorrect information to the Prosecution, and why, upon receiving the
information, the Prosecution chose to continue with a trial they must have
known they would lose, rather than attempting to have an adjournment and
locate Detective Sergeant Dunchie" Amnesty International added.
"Today marks the fourth anniversary of
Janice Allen's death. During those four years the relatives of Janice Allen
have attended endless pre-trial hearings and suffered harassment and
intimidation by the police as they wait to have their day in court. When the
day finally arrives, they witness the Prosecution end their hopes of having a
jury hear the evidence. This is an unacceptable affront to justice."
In the years that Amnesty International has monitored killings by the Jamaican
security forces, many statements have been made by the authorities regarding
the protection of human rights and the reform of the system that investigates
police killings. In reality, nothing has changed.
The last conviction of a police officer for
an unlawful killings committed while on duty was in October 1999, over four
years ago. During that time, hundreds of Jamaicans have been killed by police
officers in questionable circumstances. The name of Janice Allen will be added
to the long list of individuals killed by state agents whose cases were not
adequately investigated by the courts.
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