Police reviewing detention procedures after reported Port Glaud incident |04 July 2014

The police have said they are not denying the fact that a Barbarons lady arrested Saturday evening spent the night without clothes in a cell at Port Glaud as reported by TODAY in Seychelles newspaper dated July 3, 2014.

While the police carry out an inquiry into that matter, they also want to clarify certain allegations and statements made by the lady to TODAY.

According to the police, initial inquiry has revealed that at no instance the lady requested to talk to her lawyer and that report that she was not given food and water are untrue.

The station commander at the time of the reported incident, a corporal, NOT an inspector as reported by TODAY in Seychelles, took the decision to remove the lady’s clothes off after she had threatened to hang herself if detained.

As the lady was under the influence of alcohol and bearing in mind that only two days before a 38-year-old lady had hung herself with her panty in a police cell on Praslin, the officer said that she could not release the lady because complainant in the case are neighbours whom she had just assaulted, and releasing her could have resulted in another fight and worse, possible loss of life.
 
The officer said she also considered the fact that they were only women officers on duty that night and there was no male officers present while the lady was being detained.
It is to be noted that one of the police’s role is preservation of life.

While this report is being investigated, the police said that they are in the process of reviewing their procedures and protocols with regard to the detention of offenders as they have noticed new trends being developed by offenders who want to put pressure on the police by coming up with all manner of threats when they are arrested.