Defence Force 'won't investigate' Cuban woman's rape claims

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

THE Defence Force will not investigate claims by a 24-year-old Cuban woman that she was raped and impregnated by one of its officers while at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre.

According to the RBDF, any such probe would have to be carried out by Immigration officials who run the detention centre, the Defence Force only providing security.

This despite the fact that the Defence Force has just completed an investigation into claims its officers beat male Cuban detainees at the centre in June.

A member of Florida watchdog group The Democracy Movement made the rape claim at a press conference in Miami last week.

Yesterday, Defence Force public relations officer Lt Origin Deleveaux said the Force has not “received any reports” of this nature

“That was the first we heard about that, actually,” he said.

But, Lt Deleveaux added, the complaint should be directed to the Ministry of Immigration in any case, as that ministry is “really in charge” of the detention centre.

“In most cases, any problems they have, any concern they have, would be forwarded through Immigration and Foreign Affairs,” he said.

At the press conference in Miami, activist Jesus Alexis told the press: “Today I am going to give the news. A young woman was raped. ”

Mr Alexis gave the name of her rapist (withheld by The Tribune).

He said the officer responsible was “apparently heading one of the beatings. His name is very well known throughout the detainees there.

“I don’t want the government to say that she was impregnated in Cuba, that is impossible. She only has been there four days and she has about three months of pregnancy.

“How can they have a sexual relationship when the duty of the guards is to protect the detainees? Their responsibility is to protect them, not rape them.”

Comments

Paula says...

A DNA TEST ON THE CHILD WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT !!!!!!!!!

Posted 4 September 2013, 11:57 a.m. Suggest removal

lazybor says...

this is not the end of the story...<img src="http://tinyurl.com/c7l9ck6" width="1">

Posted 4 September 2013, 1:15 p.m. Suggest removal

B_I_D___ says...

A DNA test sure would solve it, and I am not trying to downplay the concept of rape AT ALL here, but what is to say that two did not come to some agreement for her release, or some other favour, and once she was out and free and clear of the detention centre, call it something else. Just another option...I would not put it past some people, male or female, to use or offer their bodies to try to better the situation they are in at that precise moment in time. On the other hand, if it was a rape, hang the bassturd...and not by his head, but by his balls!!

Posted 4 September 2013, 1:37 p.m. Suggest removal

ThisIsOurs says...

Disciplinary action does not require her to have been raped. He had sex with someone he was supposed to be guarding while he was on duty.

Posted 5 September 2013, 4:21 p.m. Suggest removal

concernedcitizen says...

You are a foul mouth young man , does it make you feel bigger to spew vulgarities ??

Posted 4 September 2013, 2:49 p.m. Suggest removal

when you dressed as darth vader as a kid ,a younger kid , did the other kids beat you all about the helmit until you got all woozy and ran home crying ,,lol

Posted 4 September 2013, 7:18 p.m. Suggest removal

Madame Editor, I'm all for free speech and all, but what are the grounds for posting on this site? What constitutes an offensive post and how many infractions do you allow?

Posted 4 September 2013, 8:38 p.m. Suggest removal

This is not "every other website". Your viewpoint seems to be the same with every post "don't look at what I'm doing, look at what they're doing over there...". The tone, the level of anger and the vitriol in your comments are far from common on **this** site

Posted 5 September 2013, 4:22 p.m. Suggest removal

Hmmm, 70%+ of our new births are to unwed mothers, our national average is a D, you posted pictures earlier today of a garbage strewn montague dock....though I am offended at the "monkey" comment, if true, I haven't seen the evidence

Posted 4 September 2013, 9:41 p.m. Suggest removal

If you call them more vile names than they call us we win ,,,is that your line of reasoning ??

Posted 4 September 2013, 10:57 p.m. Suggest removal

Aahh..the Internet...the source of all things true....if I used your logic...it's probably you posting the comments under different pseudonyms just to prove a point.

Posted 5 September 2013, 4:25 p.m. Suggest removal

USAhelp says...

Dah we wont investigate as we have control.

Posted 4 September 2013, 3:17 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Why has the media not paid attention to a fact long known to them, that the responsibility of the dentition center guards, does not fall under minister Freddy's ministry? This man is being crucified in the media, while the name of the actual minister whose responsibility it is to oversee the actions of the guards has never grabbed the headlines over the Cuban affair? Strangely, even Freddy's own colleagues have never stepped forward to defend him? So damn uncharacteristic about a bunch who couldn't stop voicing their support for just about everything else go'in in and around Bahamaland, never more loudly than they're recent favoring their friends, the numbers rackets bosses? Is it any wonder why the PLP will always have a problem winning two consecutive terms on power?

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2013…

Posted 4 September 2013, 4:42 p.m. Suggest removal