On Thursday 27th March, 2008 an accused whose bail was revoked by a Trinidad magistrate pleaded with the magistrate not to sned him to jail for fear of being stabbed to death.
When Randy Mason saw that his plea fell on deaf ears, he slammed his head three times into the wooden walls of the courtroom and shouted that he rather die than return to jail.
CURB recalls that similar pleas by a youth a few years ago were followed by a completed suicide after he was remanded to the Youth Training Centre. It is alleged that the youth in that case may have been the victim of repeated sexual assault and abuse in custody.
We hope that the prison authorities place Mr. Mason on a more effective suicide watch than that provided last year to Richard Alexander who hanged himself in custody in 2007.
We urge them to provide Mr. Mason with professional mental health care to ascertain the basis of his fears and a thorough medical examination to detect any evidence of physical assault or sexual abuse.
Stop Prison Abuse Weblog 