Families holding photos, flowers and banners in Central London were gathered once again in the cold just to seek justice for the lives of their beloved ones, and to put an end to the deaths in police and prison custodies.
About hundred protestors took part in the 8th annual demonstration by United Families & Friends Campaign (UFFC) on Oct. 28 at Trafalgar Square to raise their voice against the government, who has turned a deaf ear for years.
``There are times you have to embarrass the government,’’ said Pauline Campbell, a campaigner and a mother of an 18-year old Sarah, who died in prison in 2003. ``I am tired of promises and investigations.’’
Campbell has been arrested 13 times for her protests against the custodial deaths. She won’t stop until the government commits putting an end to the brutality that takes place in a dark world unknown to most of us.
``I am doing this to raise public awareness about the unacceptable death toll in prisons,’’ she said. ``People are dying at the hands of the state and there’s no accountability.’’
According to Independent Police Complaint Commission (IPCC), the number of deaths in or after custody fell to 28 in the fiscal year ending March 2006, compared with 36 deaths a year ago. Not even a single policeman has been evicted and the IPCC, instead of taking some of the responsibility, blamed the vulnerable nature of the victims.
``If the policemen haven’t been prosecuted, it means that we didn’t find them guilty after the investigation,’’ said spokesman Richard Arthur. ``Also, you have to remember that most of these victims use drugs or alcohol, or are mentally unstable.’’
UFFC, which was established in 1997 by families and supporters, holds annual protests in London in October in response to prison or police deaths of loved ones.
Another protestor, Rhonda Bishop, said her 25-year old brother was arrested for an ``unknown’’ reason. Ricky Bishop was said to have gone to the police himself to get arrested, she said citing the version told to her family by the police.
Her family was told that Ricky was interviewed in a room for four hours, where there were no cameras installed, and the tape on which his conversation was recorded was misplaced. Her brother died popping an overdose of cocaine in his mouth within a few hours of interrogation – an explanation she is not convinced with.
``He was a body builder and took good care of himself,’’ said Bishop, who doesn’t believe that he took drugs himself, unless he was forced to have them.
Juvenile deaths are also common in custodies. Adam Rickwood, a 14-year old, took his life within a month of being in police custody. The police didn’t let him out even after the man, whom Rickwood had wounded, had dropped his charges against the boy.
His mother, Carol Pounder, still clearly recalls how her son was shaking and crying uncontrollably when she visited him in a Secure Training Centre (STC) and told her ``I need to be home with you, I hate it here. I will hurt myself bad or do myself.’’
She was assured by a worker at the STC that she shouldn’t worry and her son will be taken care of. He died 20 days later. She wants a public inquiry into her son’s death and wants the government to take an action to prevent further deaths in custodies.
Families of the victims have their own story to tell, but they are all searching for one answer – when will the government take any action against those involved in police and prison custody deaths?
