Inmate in ICU after being wounded in prison incident |20 March 2018

An inmate at the Montagne Posée Prison, Curtis Sinon, is in critical condition in the intensive care unit of the Seychelles Hospital after he was wounded in an incident at the prison on Friday evening.

The Seychelles Prison Service has confirmed in a communiqué that the incident involved two inmates and that “a sharp weapon of some type” was used.

“Following the incident and removal by prison authorities of both the victim and suspect, contact was made with the family of inmate Curtis Sinon who had suffered the wounding. At this time inmate Curtis Sinon remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit of the Seychelles Hospital as a result of the injuries caused,” the communiqué says.

Inmate Curtis Sinon, 27 years of age of Bel Air, is serving an 11-year sentence at the Montagne Posée Prison and is due for release on December 21, 2021. 

The acting Superintendent of the Seychelles Prison Service Raymond St Ange has met the family of inmate Curtis Sinon and the Prison Service has issued a notice to prison staff to consider donating blood to the Seychelles Hospital blood bank.

The incident has been referred to the police and an investigation is ongoing.

Meanwhile the Seychelles Prison Service is as well conducting its own preliminary internal investigation.

Commenting on the incident, Mr St Ange said: “While acknowledging that prisons are susceptible to inmate on inmate violence this in no way means that we at the Seychelles Prison Service accept or tolerate such acts.  During our stabilisation period we are working to ensure that prison facilities here in Seychelles conform to the standard required so that inmates can have the opportunity to be rehabilitated during their sentence period properly.  We as well note that while a majority of our inmates are compliant and simply want to serve out their sentences peacefully while participating in our programme initiatives, a number of inmates remain engaged in criminal behaviour with outside contacts assisting them in one way or another.”