Robbery victims turned police’s victims

THE EDITOR: I am writing to you on behalf of my father Mr E Russell. He is trying by all means to get his point heard with absolutely no success.

A complaint was made to the police in Carnival 2003 about merchandise worth a substantial amount stolen/sold from our home in Curepe by someone residing there at the time. This was unknown to my father or anyone for that matter, until his arrival to the country. Though this case made local newspapers, the matter was never thoroughly tended to by investigating officers. An arrest was made, information was given by the arrestee and certain properties were reclaimed but the most valuable and treasured possessions that were listed for the officers were never returned to us; even though they had tips to where the most valuable of merchandise was located and who the recipient was. Though this information was given, it was never investigated.

We received many promises from police officers working the case; reassuring us that our lost possessions would be returned. As time went by it seemed as though the tables turned and the officers’ patience was running thin. Instead of these officers doing their job, they started treating us as though we were the culprits and not the victims. After all, is it not their job to protect and serve? Well, I personally didn’t appreciate their thoroughness nor the process by which they handled themselves and us (the victims). They were very unprofessional.

Anyway, making a long story short. Time was wasted and nothing or no one came to us after many attempts at trying to get an official to at least keep us updated with the happenings of the case and despite generous assistance from friends familiar with the process and the way things work, no one seemed to care. So we turn now to you, our local press, to help us get the word out there. It is very unfair to us or to anyone to be treated the way we were. We tried very hard to cooperate and work with the authorities the best way we knew how but they just gave us the boot. I am not going to assume that they were hiding something or maybe knew a little more than they bargained for as time progressed and information about the whereabouts of our merchandise came to light, hence the reason why this particular case is no longer being pursued. I have faith in my country’s justice system though. Our goal now is to get some type of assistance or advice as to how to go about ending this unnecessary lengthy process. Despite our system’s many mistakes, I am hoping that they do prevail and my father receives some sort of satisfactory closure to this case.

E HENRY
Port-of-Spain