Teenager savagely beaten by Reg. 9 businessman

By Bibi Khatoon

A family is seeking justice for their 16-year-old son, Deon Antone, who was cruelly beaten, allegedly by a businessman of Lethem along with his employees in Marudi Mountains, Region 9 on August 29, 2017.

The teenager’s step-father, Stanley Young who is an ex-police officer, told News Room that the businessman [name provided] savagely beat the young man with a rubber hose and a piece of metal, after alleging that the teen entered his [businessman’s] premises with the intention of stealing.

Photos provided to the News Room show the young man’s body covered with marks of violence. The police in the area are also being accused of accepting a bribe from the businessman to keep the matter under wraps and have allegedly threatened to beat the teenager if he releases the name of the businessman.

“It is alleged that he [the teen] go into a shop and the owner of that shop and him had a kinda scuffling but he get away. The following morning, they found him sleeping in a truck –he was actually under the influence of alcohol because he was at a party –and the owner of the business pull him out the truck and they start beating him with some kinda hose, a rubber hose that they normally full water from. I got information that he [ the businessman] and two other employees held onto him –the owner press his neck down with his feet and took a metal used in a stone  crusher and hit him on his mouth. They continue beating him with a hose,” the step-father told News Room.

The teen was examined by the Medic attached to Romanex Exploration Company in the Region. However, because of the seriousness of his injuries, he was escorted to the Aishalton hospital where he was admitted.

Young is further alleging that the police at Aishalton are trying to cover up the case for a sum of $100,000 which will be paid by the businessman. He told News Room that he visited his son at the hospital and requested details on the person who caused him to be hospitalised but the teen refused to divulge information.

“When I approach my son, he said that he cannot give me those information…I later learnt that the reason why this boy did not give me the names and addresses of those persons who beat him is that the police went to the hospital and threatened him that if he give me the name and address, they themselves will beat him,” the father said.

He told News Room that the businessman is also offering $200,000 to his step-son to settle the matter, but the offer was refused by the family.

Young disclosed that as a result of fear, his step-son discharged himself from the Aishalton Hospital today, Sunday (September 03, 2017) and escaped to “the back dam.”

The father did not deny that his son entered the businessman’s premises but strongly believes that no one should take matters into their own hands, causing such harm to another person. He is calling on the relevant authorities to look into the matter.