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A montage of two screenshots from a video of a boy’s back after police officers in St. Vincent and the Grenadines allegedly beat the 10-year-old child. (CMC Photo)
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – Police in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are promising to take “the appropriate action” after they complete their investigation into reports that police officers allegedly beat a 10-year-old child after he removed a bicycle from a yard on Sunday.
A police statement said that the officers involved were “paraded” before the acting Commissioner of Police, Enville Williams, on Monday and that an investigation had been launched into the matter.
“The appropriate action will be taken upon completion of the said investigation,” the statement by the Police Public Relations and Complaints Department said, noting that “a senior police officer” attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had been assigned to conduct the investigation.
On Sunday, a woman, who identified herself as Rosita Phillips appeared in a Facebook live video saying she was outside the Stubbs Police Station and that her 0-year-old son had been locked up after it was alleged that he had gone into someone’s yard and taken their bike.
She said she went to the police station to find out what was going on and the officers released the child to her and told her they would investigate the matter.
Phillips said that when she was in the yard of the police station, the child told her that his back was hurting.
“Two police officer beat my child. If you see the bruise and dem in ye back and all thing,” she said, speaking in the Vincentian vernacular, adding “I calling on authority who listening me now and who seeing this. I don’t satisfy. If you see the condition of my child’s back”.
The child’s back, which was later shown in the video, appeared to have marks on it and he appeared to be bleeding slightly in one area.
“I want to know if they lock up my child,” she said , questioning also why as the guardian, she was not informed of the situation by the police. She also said the child should have been questioned in her presence.
In the statement, the police said the allegations of abuse and misbehaviour by police officers towards a minor had been drawn to the attention of the acting Commissioner of Police and other senior-ranking police officers.
“The officers implicated in the allegation were paraded before the Acting Commissioner of Police earlier today (29.01.24) at the Office of the Commissioner of Police, Police Headquarters in Kingstown,” the statement said, urging the public to allow the invesigation to proceed without hinderance.
“While the allegations are painful to listen to, we must strive to be fair to all parties involved. We, however, wish to reiterate that the police force is an organisation that does not operate outside of the laws of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and no officer will be tolerated if he or she chooses to do so,” the statement said.
“Police abuse and allegations of police abuse are not policies of the RSVGPF. Any police ,” the statement said with the police promising to update the public on the investigation and actions to be taken shortly.
“Once again, we thank our citizens for continuing to work with RSVGPF to keep our nation safe,” the statement said, urging “anyone with information that can assist the investigation is encouraged to contact” them.
Zazeannah Walker 
