By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE mother of seized toddler Shavar Bain Jr last night accused authorities of beating her boyfriend during the time he was held by police in the hours their son was missing.

Dwaynira Thurston alleges police “tortured” and abused both her and the boy’s father, Shavar Bain Sr, ultimately accusing them of kidnapping their own child.

Ms Thurston told The Tribune yesterday her human rights were violated when officers came to arrest her at 2am Sunday and refused to leave her bedroom to give her the privacy of getting dressed.

While this was taking place, she alleges Shavar Bain Sr had already been in police custody for several hours and was being tormented by brutal means in an attempt to coerce a confession.

Royal Bahamas Policed Force Superintendent Marlon Fulford confirmed yesterday the Complaints and Corruptions’ front office received a report from Mr Bain yesterday, adding police would investigate the claims he made.

Mr Shavar was watching his son and several other children outside playing as he washed a car across the street. He had taken his eyes off of the children for a brief moment to speak with his mother, also in close proximity.

This is when Shavar Jr was was taken from outside his home at South Beach Estates as he rode a bicycle shortly before 6pm Saturday. Police said a witness to the brazen kidnapping stated he saw the toddler taken off his bicycle by two women, who put him in their silver coloured car and sped away from the scene.

About 13 hours later, he was dropped off shortly after 7am Sunday right outside of Sunrise Wash house at Fox Hill and Joe Farrington Roads. As speculation remains over why he was taken, Ms Thurston ruled out the incident being connected to a domestic dispute. This detail was told to The Tribune by National Security Minister Marvin Dames as he moved on Sunday to quell concerns that kidnapping could become an issue in the Bahamas, telling this newspaper this was not a random incident.

What transpired during the time the assailants held the child was a nightmare, Ms Thurston said. 

“They had him from about eight something that night (Saturday) until like about three something the next day (Sunday). After they found my son seven o’clock they still had him in custody until about three something almost four o’clock waiting on the swelling of the hand to go down, you see,” Ms Thurston said, speaking on behalf of her partner Mr Bain.

“They beat him (and) this is everything that he told me. This ain’t what someone else tell me. He said they put bag on his head and he bite through the first bag because he couldn’t breathe. They put another one over his head he say they was suffocating him, chocking him. Say one big CDU officer was sitting on his back. They had him handcuffed to the ground.

“He said he was stomping him in his chest and it started he say because the first inspector hit him in his face… burst his head off. Then the officer said put him in the back then they started to beat him.”

According to Ms Thurston, Mr Bain believes the beating was more severe because the officer delivering most of the blows was also allegedly drinking alcohol. Up to yesterday she said he was complaining of chest pains and other injuries from the abuse suffered while in custody.

Speaking about her experience, Ms Thurston said she was not physically harmed by police, but she felt violated and degraded having to dress herself in the presence of three male officers who refused to afford her the courtesy of changing from her nightwear to be taken to the South Beach Police station for a second time.

“They come here after two o’clock in the morning. I had on a shirt and a short pants.

“I was laying down in this bed and they could see my eyes hurting. I have the towel over my face. My eyes red where I been crying so much. My other four children in the bed, I laying across the bed.

“Three male officers come in here. I have on a short pants and a shirt and they standing up in here. I was not dressed and they would not come out of the room.

“No woman officer was with them. They would not move out the room. I trying to put on my clothes and they standing right here looking in the room. They would not move from this door.”

She said she was then taken to the police station along with another relative. Once there, she got the chilling news.

“I told them that I had already given a statement. So they said no miss we are locking you up for abduction of your son

“I said listen to me y’all locking me up for abduction of my son. I was laying down in the bed with my four children and y’all talking f*ery bout locking me up? I said let me call my lawyer because I need to see something.

“I couldn’t talk in there. They were taking pictures of me. I said you all taking my rights. They answered none of the questions I had about the search for my son.

“I just wanted answers and saying to myself they ain’t looking for my son.”

By the time she was moved from the South Beach Station to CDU’s office on Thompson Boulevard, Shavar Jr had already been dropped off at the Sunrise Wash house and in police custody.

“As I reach to CDU the woman opened the car door and I see my son walk out the car. I automatically start crying. I was overwhelmed.”

She was released from police custody, but believes this was only the case as Shavar Jr needed parental supervision to be seen by the hospital.

What should have been a happy reunion was clouded by uncertainty over Shavar Sr. When he was finally released, Ms Thurston claimed no private clinic or even the Princess Margaret Hospital would give him medical attention.

Yesterday she said they were told by police he need a special document which would have been given after filing the complaint, permitting him to receive medical care.

While little Shavar is somewhat back to normal, he is still traumatised by the moment he was snatched from his bicycle.

“He was so shaken and scared he wasn’t answering CDU officers. So as I was bathing him in the tub Sunday I said, Shavar tell mommy what happened.

“He can’t really talk properly but he could talk where you could understand to hear what he saying. He said ‘mommy the lady wap (sic) me cross my foot with the slippers and tell me shut up and go sleep. The woman tell me go sleep two times’”

“He said when he woke up the woman carried him to McDonald’s to get him something to eat and all.

“Who can this be?”

As for a suspect, Ms Bain said she informed police of threats of death sent to Shavar Bain Sr by a woman purporting to be a man. However, in her opinion, police did not do due diligence to ensure this person was not responsible for the toddler’s abduction.

The family is now looking forward to moving past the incident.

Little Shavar is back to his normal self as if nothing ever happened.

While she too would like to be happy, having been reunited with her son, Ms Thurston said she fears there could be another abduction as police have still not captured the two women believed to have taken and returned her son.