Dear Editor,
The picture in the October 31 edition of Kaieteur News showing the 14-year-old boy tortured by the police was most outrageous, left nothing to the imagination, enraged the nation and supports fully the saying, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ It brought about the desired effect. It is for this reason I stand in support of publishing photographs of people who have fallen victim to gruesome acts. The picture, disturbing as it may be, is a result of the act in itself, although I do agree that there will be times when our decency and delicate senses or feelings would dictate exceptions to the rule.
Why should those who are committing all kinds of cruelties in the most brazen way without any kind of remorse, remain sheltered by not having the evidence of their sick minds exposed? Even if some may be incapable of guilt or shame, still let their actions – though painful to decent folks – be revealed for all to see what we have become.
In looking at this picture of torture, I couldn’t help asking myself, just what the heck is going on, and immediately once again remembered the words of Barrington Braithwaite: “The system had captured troubled, unbalanced personalities and created soulless mass murders out of them.”
And this we are witnessing. Torture by the state police is now a regular occurrence which appears to be part of standard operations. Just the other day we were almost petrified and lamenting what the Coast Guards had done to Ramdass. Now on the heels of it we are presented with yet another horrific act that has disturbed the conscience of the nation.
These complaints of torture are just too many and must be checked, since the abuses are not in any way bridging the wide bitter gap between the Joint Services and the people. But this pattern of beating/torturing has a double negative effect: it gradually transforms the executors into monsters and psychopaths, and demonizes the young victims. God knows, we have more that our fair share of man-child criminality. The Commissioner and the Home Affairs Minister must be mindful that public confidence in the Joint Services has been erased.
But I need to ask: are these tortures done because of love of the job with the sole intention of finding the real guilty ones, or is it that individuals are being paid outside of a salary just to get a confession? Whatever the case, why are the victims invariably poor working folks?
Yours faithfully,
Frank Fyffe
Kudos to Kaieteur for that picture. Its shot and awe photo journalism has finally awaken the sleeping gaint. Hope that giant doesn’t go back to sleep. Don’t make this a nine-day story. Torture MUST stop and there must be Justice For All. The giant cannot go back to slumber lest he awakens to find he is taking his last breath.
Raj, it is “shock and awe”. It just show your ignorance when you use phrases incorrectly!!!
Frank i agree with you, as the late great peter tosh said in one of his record “only the poor man feel it” while the rich get pampered.
It’s only KN that has the tenacity and gumption to put this kind of story in the fore front. If it were not for KN publishing that picture the massive cover-up would have been successful, with denials and cuss-downs.
Yup. There is certain authenticity, an ugly immediacy to it with compelling emotional material to make you weep. I read Ralph Ramkarran’s piece and I think this man has no shame!
yuh darn right about de picture….
dem same ones dat plaster de foto….
mus plaster de foto of de dead man to……
That’s the problem with torture: it plasters over the original crime. That’s why torture must never be used.
MXQBH
nat suh fast….leh we see if de media gat de guts…..
baseball—cricket ball—football—ballbearing to show de fotos of de dead man…..
Agree with Balgobn-Hackett.
Not only dooes it plaster over the original crime, but it clouds every other.
Well, e-e, at least you got to agree that if the police hadn’t tortured the child but had used good, intelligent and investigative policing instead, all this hullabaloo about torture would never have arisen. You also got to agree that the vast majority of people do not agree with murder, and also the vast majority of people do not agree with torture.
Thank goodness I have not seen the picture. My question is – was that a smart move showing the picture? I have seen some gruesome pictures coming out of Guyana and I think that by now, most people are desensitized to the torture – the mere thought had me gagging. So while the picture displayed the gruesome act, did it accomplish anything? or was it just another cruel act in a land where toture seems to have become the norm. A well written article graphically describing the condition of the boy would have sufficed. just my thought and reaction!!!!
NeNe I disagree my friend, because I think that it is very important for these ugly IMAGES of torture to be published on the front page as headline news. No amount of slick words or descriptions would begin to capture the enormity of such a crime against civil society much less a minor.
The joint forces and the police, under no circumstances what soever, should be allowed to interrogate any minor for criminality without the presence of a parent or guardian. This is bad stuff bordering on anarchy and civil mischief….
The police must be exposed, remanded and punished for their insensitive behavior in public service under the color of authority.
CONGRATULATIONS TO KAIETEUR NEWS!