Magistrate told of prison officer assault

A 27-YEAR-OLD man yesterday poured his heart out before a San Fernando magistrate, claiming he was dehumanised by prison officers who examined his private parts using a latex glove and vaseline. The alleged incident occurred at the weekend and the complaint was made to Magistrate Rajendra Rambachan by a man who is charged with spitting at a woman in June last year. The man appeared before Magistrate Rambachan yesterday for continuing hearing of the case against him in which he was charged with common assault on the woman.

Unable to even afford bail, the accused has been in Remand Yard for the past year. Brought down from the State’s prison yesterday to the San Fernando Magistrate’s Court for continued hearing of the case, the accused told Magistrate Rambachan that prison officers ordered him to strip naked. The accused told magistrate Rambachan a prison officer requested a latex glove and vaseline from another guard. He then told the magistrate that his private part was examined by the prison officers.

Almost in tears, the accused man said when he resisted the act being done to him, he was beaten. Rambachan’s attorney, Subhas Panday, who described the examination of his client as a serious breach of assault on the person, said he had taken instructions from the accused to file a lawsuit against the prison authorities for assault and aggravated damages.