Blind woman petitions Human Rights group

Juman, who is blind, claims she ought not to have been arrested and locked up in a police station cell on suspicion of having arms and ammunition.

Juman, 58, of Corinth Hills, San Fernando was arrested in 1998 at a house in La Romaine. After she fought in the local courts and then the Privy Council which threw out a malicious prosecution case she brought against the state, Juman petitioned the IACHR. She is asking the Commission to pronounce that in the ‘hard-and-fast’ approach by police when conducting a search of premises, they failed to consider that a blind person living in a house would more than likely be unaware of the presence illegal items therein.

Juman is believed to be the first person in TT and quite possibly the Commonwealth to the IACHR, which is a body that usually hears from convicted murders whose appeals against the death penalty, have been exhausted.

Blind since 17, Juman has sought counsel from attorney Ted Roopnarine who filed a petition on her behalf with the IACHR.

“I lost in the High Court, in the Appeal Court and in the Privy Council. This is not about money.

I want my name cleared and for all blind people to be treated with dignity according to law. How can you say a blind woman knew where guns were in a house,” Juman said.

On September 30, 1998, police searched Juman’s house which at the time she shared with her husband, two children, her mother and a sister. A bag with two guns and ammunition were found during the search. Everyone including the blind woman was arrested and charged with possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition. One of the persons charged, pleaded guilty and was fined $6,000. Juman, who weaves baskets at the San Fernando Blind Welfare Association, pleaded not guilty. After 20 hearings over two years, she was freed for lack of evidence and in April 2001, attorney Roopnarine filed a lawsuit for malicious prosecution.

Retired judge Shahfeyei Shah awarded Juman $17,000 for false imprisonment but dismissed her claim for malicious prosecution.

He ruled that police acted within the law in arresting her, although she is blind. Roopnarine appealed the ruling which was upheld in the Appeals Court. On December 1, 2016, her appeal was heard by three judges in the Privy Council in London and on February 20, the Law Lords ruled that police did not act outside of the law.

Juman then petitioned the IACHR of which TT is a signatory.

Juman told Newsday she has suffered “tremendous embarrassment” in being arrested, charged and brought to court in handcuffs. “My world in one of total darkness. How will I know if someone brings something illegal in my house? I can’t understand why they arrested and charged me,” Juman said.

The IACHR has written to attorney Roopnarine indicating that Juman’s matter is receiving immediate attention. The IACHR has posted Juman’s case on its website.