Boy, 17, burned while at Vigilance Police Station; probe launched

A 17-year-old boy on Sunday sustained burns to his left side abdomen and left arm while incarcerated at the Vigilance Police Station, East Coast Demerara.

The News Room understands that he and three other boys were reportedly arrested for armed robbery last Thursday.

When contacted by the News Room, Assistant Police Commissioner Kurleigh Simon would only say that the matter was being investigated.

He confirmed, however, that the boy is 17 years old and was arrested for robbery.

Simon declined to offer any other comment.

In a video released by his family, the injured teen, still in handcuffs and shackles on his feet, could be seen seeking medical attention.

In that recording, he claimed that he was set on fire by a police rank using a lighter.

“He wanted to knock me to talk about some gun and I tell he me aint know bout no gun and me and he start scuffle and after then he took the lighter and light me… I had to take off my jersey and dash it in the water and then they beat me to say when the ambulance come to say I burn me self,” the teen said.

When contacted, the teen’s father Esse Peters said his son left on Thursday to go and purchase clothing for his brother’s funeral when he was arrested.

He said while the others were placed in the juvenile lockups at the Cove and John Police Station, his son was kept at the Vigilance Police Station.

“If my son do a crime and he says he don’t know and the police has evidence, then place him before the court… why keep him at Vigilance and didn’t even call the parents… this was premeditated to beat him,” the father said.

He acknowledged that his son, who hails from Annandale on the East Coast of Demerara is known to the police and was recently involved in a matter where he had to report weekly to the police station.

Peters wants the police to provide answers and provide them quickly.