[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) should soon be in a position to state her recommendation in relation to the Colwyn Harding case which is engaging the attention of the Police Office of Professional Responsibility (OPPR).
Police Commissioner (ag),Seelall Persaud told iNews (www.inewsguyana.com) that the Chairman of the OPPR has given him the assurance that his work on the file would have been completed on Monday, April 07 and sent to the DPP’s Office.
Colwyn Harding is the teen whom the police arrested and reportedly sexually assaulted and abused while he was in their custody at the Timehri Police Station in November 2013, resulting in all the ranks implicated to be transferred on the order of then Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell.
Initially, the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority had stated that there would be criminal charges which are likely to be levelled against one of the eight transferred ranks while disciplinary action would have been levelled against the remaining seven.
In February, the DPP had sent back the Colwyn Harding file to the Police for further investigations to be conducted into his alleged rape. He accused the rank of inserting a condom covered baton into his anus, which damaged his intestines.
An independent medical expert from the St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital has since found medical evidence to prove that a ‘foreign object’ was inserted into the rectum of Harding, which caused internal bleeding.
This was revealed by his lawyer, Attorney – at – Law, Nigel Hughes. The 23 – year – old Harding was taken to the private doctor for an evaluation after being released from the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) on January 20.
However, the doctors at the GPH had said that Harding never informed them that he was raped and examinations of that ilk were never conducted and as such, they could not make that determination now since the incident occurred between November 15 -18, 2013 and Harding would most likely have already healed.
Harding was diagnosed and treated for Hernia by the doctors at the GPHC.
The allegations of rape only came to light in January 2014. An investigation was conducted by the Police Complaints Authority, which revealed that Harding was not raped.
