Dear Editor,
On May 11, 2014, a letter was published in Sunday Stabroek written by me and captioned ‘These girls are being brutalized by their stepfather.’ As indicated in that letter, I did report the matter to an official from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. They were visited by the official and after that they started attending counselling for a few days. Amazingly, the mother started to beat them viciously saying that they are her children and she has a right to beat them. The stepfather still beats the children also, but he chooses to beat them indoors. As a result of the children’s screams whilst being beaten, more than once the stepfather was challenged to come outside and try that with people (men) who cannot bear to hear the children screaming, but he stays inside. After they became aware that it was I who reported them, they started making threats and saying bad things about us openly.
We ignore them and sometimes the woman’s relatives would come and they too would be making threats and talking about making false reports against me at the station and then ambush me because they are living in front of me and I have to pass them to go on the road. We are a bit scared but I kept informing the official from the Social Services about the children still being abused. Around September 5, the child protection officer visited the area and inquired from residents around at my request because many of them are angry about the abuse the children are facing and are always asking me to report the matter.
On Wednesday, September 10 around 5pm, two police officers entered my yard and informed me that my neighbours had made a report at the police station that I was verbally abusing them. When they came my wife and I were playing with our three children in the back yard and I asked them if indeed that was true, I would have been doing what they see me doing. I then tried to explain to them that because I had reported to the Ministry of Human and Social Services about them abusing the children they might be trying to get back to me. The officers listened and then invited me to the station, and I obliged. As soon as I entered the Police Station a uniformed officer in the station started cursing me and asking why I was abusing the people. I chose to ignore him because I assumed he might be related to them or knew one of them personally. A senior officer came and when I explained what had happened, he told them to put me on station bail and let me go to court the next day.
I went back the next day only to be informed that court was in the afternoon so I went away. I return at 12.30pm and when court finished I approached the orderly and asked what happened to my matter, and he said to return on December 18 after consulting a list. Not satisfied, I went over to the station and I reached one of the officers who told me that the case was the next day (Friday, September 12). The senior officer I talked to the previous evening saw me and said that he only put me on bail because of the condition I was in, and that the people had been there that same morning making another report saying that after I left the station, I went home and started to abuse them again.
Again I explained what was happening and he promised to send officers there to investigate if what they were saying was indeed true, because it was late when I went home so other neighbours would hear if I abused them. To date I don’t know if they went because none of the other neighbours mentioned seeing anyone.
After telling the Magistrate that I was unemployed and after pleading not guilty, I was placed on bail. As a result of me reporting a child abuse matter, I was taken to Camp Street Prison because my wife came too late to bail me, and when she went to the Station, one officer said “let he s… stay there for the weekend because he like write things about people.” I didn’t walk with money to bail myself because I didn’t expect to be put on bail again, and I am innocent of what I am being charged with. I also believe that the Ministry of Social Services would have come into play because I kept the official up to date on what was happening.
After going home on Monday, I noticed the video commercial being played about child abuse and the Director of Public Prosecutions urging the public to report child abuse.
I reported children were being abused and as a result of that, my children and wife including my relatives were traumatized, I was cursed by a policeman in uniform, ended up in prison among thieves, etc, and was also advised to mind my own business by those who are there to serve and protect. So, those who are responsible or could have prevented all of this, I witnessed children being abused and do you think I or anyone else should report it after this experience?
Yours faithfully,
Sahadeo Bates
