WEST KINGSTON – Ophelia Abrahams, a resident of West Kingston who claimed she was brutally tortured by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Power (JCF), expressed each aid and lingering worry after being discovered not responsible final week on a slew of fees stemming from a 2019 incident.
Abrahams, who confronted fees together with assault occasioning bodily hurt, illegal wounding, stone throwing, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, indecent language, and utilizing threatening, calumnious language, described harrowing particulars of that day in Might 2019. In keeping with her account, the incident started when she heard a commotion on the bottom ground of her high-rise in Denham City. After cracking her window to analyze, she witnessed police exercise however didn’t perceive what was being mentioned.
“I went again in my room to lie down, and minutes later, I heard the grille pull. Once I opened my door, I noticed that the entrance door’s hinges had been partially off,” Abrahams recalled. She mentioned that when she questioned the police—asking if they’d a warrant—a feminine officer slapped her. In an try and protect herself, Abrahams claimed her raised hand inadvertently scratched the officer’s face. She alleged that 4 further officers then arrived and aggressively subdued her, with one kicking her toes away and inflicting her to fall and hit her head. The assault escalated additional when, as she tried to guard herself, a feminine officer reportedly ripped her hair from her scalp—a transfer that, in line with a medical report from the South East Regional Well being Authority dated November 25, 2019, precipitated extreme traction alopecia together with a number of abrasions and discolourations throughout her physique.
Her lawyer, Mikael Lorne, described the ordeal as a case of false imprisonment and malicious prosecution, stating that his consumer was subjected to brutal assault and a flagrant breach of her constitutional rights. “The proof confirmed a transparent sample of police brutality, but the court docket was offered with a story that misrepresented her actions,” Lorne mentioned. The choose, reviewing each medical reviews and testimonies, in the end discovered the prosecution’s case unsubstantiated.
Whereas Abrahams was elated by the decision—exclaiming that she “felt nice” when the choose delivered the end result—she admitted to feeling a deep sense of vulnerability upon returning dwelling. “After reaching dwelling, I started to really feel fearful. I’ve to be watching out for my life,” she informed the Jamaica Observer.
The acquittal marks a major second for Abrahams, however her fears underline ongoing issues about accountability and the remedy of civilians by regulation enforcement. Advocacy teams and authorized consultants are calling for additional investigation into the conduct of the officers concerned within the incident, urging that steps be taken to forestall such occurrences sooner or later.
Because the neighborhood reacts to the decision, questions stay about how greatest to make sure justice and safeguard the rights of those that allege police misconduct. Abrahams’ case continues to gasoline a broader debate on police accountability and the safety of susceptible people in Jamaica.
