Alleged police abuse victim Ralph Andre Lewis yesterday said he will not be forgiving the police officers who allegedly beat and burned him while he was in custody in February this year.
Lewis’ statement came after secretary of the T&T Police Service Social and Welfare Association, acting Inspector Michael Seales pleaded with Lewis to forgive the 12 officers, who were arrested on Sunday, and the service for failing him.
Seales also extended an apology to Lewis.
“The association has taken the position to really do some introspection in a bid to understand what has happened in the circumstances where 12 officers were arrested. In so doing, we have taken the decision to give an unqualified apology to the victim (Lewis),” Seales said.
He added that the association would like the investigation to come to a speedy close and for a speedy trial should the officers be charged and taken to court.
“The association would like to volunteer to bring back a measure of normalcy in the victim's life, physically and mentally, to a standpoint. In the offset, we apologise to him and ask him to find it in his heart to forgive the officers,” Seales said.
But contacted last night, Lewis said he could not forgive the officers because of the trauma with which he was still dealing.
“I cannot forgive the officers. All I want is to get swift justice and compensation for my injuries which I have to live a lifetime with.
“I am mentally messed up. I want the officers to face the full brunt of the law should they be charged.”
Lewis said he wanted to set an example to other people who may have been abused by the police in one way or the other.
“Stand up for your rights and stand up against the abuse,” he said.
Seales yesterday expressed concerns about police who were bent on errant behaviour and challenged his colleagues who saw others abusing their power to make the tough decision and arrest them.
“Do not sit idly by and allow that kind of behaviour to pass by and let the officers know that they are doing that at their own risk. Do not be afraid to make those tough decisions and arrest those police officers,” he said.
ID Parades
The officers—an acting inspector, a sergeant, an SRP sergeant, three acting corporals and six police constables (including one WPC)—spent most of yesterday being interrogated by investigators from the Professional Standards Bureau.
They were reportedly being detained separately at various police stations across north and central Trinidad up to late last night.
The officers were initially due to participate in individual identification parades yesterday but police sources said the process may take some time as the investigators have to search for groups of peoples matching the description of each officer before Lewis was invited to point out the ones responsible for the incident.
The parades are expected to be done between today and tomorrow before investigators carry their case file to Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice on possible criminal charges later this week.
Investigators were said to be considering charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, beating by assault, misbehaviour in public office and perverting the course of justice depending on each officer’s involvement in the incident.
Five of the officers were said to have been involved in the alleged attack, while the rest were on duty and failed to report it.
Lewis, 22, of Coronation Road, Sangre Grande, who first appeared on the CrimeWatch programme with host Ian Alleyne on CNC3, claimed that on February 24 he went to the Sangre Grande Police Station after he learned he was wanted in connection with house breaking and larceny.
Lewis was detained overnight. He sustained burns to the genital area and his buttocks when he was being interrogated the following day. He also claimed that subsequent to the incident, he was offered monetary bribes of $150,000 to drop the allegations against the officers.