Dear Editor,
After having read, on so many occasions, coverage of the atrocity against a 10-year-old from Sisters Village, east bank, Berbice, who is my client, I feel it is only fitting that I offer a response to the public at large and more specifically to those who have either called or written to offer their support, both to me and little Ranvanlee. After all I am the one most familiar with the circumstances surrounding this horrific abuse of a child in this day and age, by uniformed upholders of the law.
Ranvanlee Chan has not yet celebrated his 10th birthday. He was born September 30, 1998. He is just a few months into his 10th year. This means that in the eyes of the law he cannot commit a crime. The alleged crime that led to all this furore and raised eyebrows is that he stole $6000 from a neighbour. There is no eye witness to say that he did.
I will not relate the whole story but I will certainly fill the gaps so as to keep people like Ms Kinda Vellosa-Monkhouse and all those who have shown some concern and support, up-to-date. The beating did take place and Ranvanlee Chan was under police watch at the New Amsterdam hospital from January 3 to Jan 5, 2008. What is amazing is that the police never expected this matter, of a child’s brutality, to be given so much attention, even though it was so openly perpetrated..what was so henious about the crime (if it was committed) that such punishment was meted out?
As was suggested by Ms Vellosa-Monkhouse in her letter this is not about money, it is about fighting injustice. Ranvanlee Chan is from a tiny village on the east bank of Berbice and is living with parents who can barely afford to live, and, that too, with the help of relatives. So how can the mother offer to pay back the $6000? The greatest concern of the parents was that they couldn’t afford to pay me to take up the matter. I am doing this pro-bono. If I am to sit back and, because of a few dollars or lack thereof, allow this type of abuse and cruelty to go unpunished then I would be a let down to my late father, the people who helped to make me a lawyer and I would prove to be very forgetful of where I came from.
I was told by very close friends that i should not be fighting with the police like this, but, am I fighting with the police? I am fighting an injustice. I am trying to prevent this type of atrocious behaviour by our police force from recurring.
I feel that, at this stage, I can take the liberty to tell all concerned that there is an internal investigation into the matter and already the senior officer has been relieved of his responsibilities at the Sisters Police station. When I concluded my meeting with Commander Conway, I was satisfied that the matter would be dealt with appropriately and it is my view that resorting to the court would not be in the best interest of young Ranvanlee. The investigation is moving at a very rapid pace because it was on Wednesday January 16 that Ranvanlee and his aunt were taken to CID, New Amsterdam, to identify the police officers responsible.
Let me take this opportunity to thank the reporters of the various newspapers who came out with pens ready and did a fine job of bringing this issue to the eyes of the public.
It is with great concern that I say I hope this changes the behaviour of all police officers in their handling of people in their custody. I will also seek advice from the Minister of Social Services, Ms Priya Manickchand, on how best Ranvanlee can be served by this horrific incident.
Yours faithfully,
Charrandass Persaud
Attorney-at-law
