The Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers (ABUT) says it is encouraging teachers who were allegedly stripped searched by police officers investigating a robbery at a school to pursue legal action.
ABUT secretary general, Ashworth Azille, said the advice to pursue the legal action came after the police failed to respond to the allegations made by the teachers.
He said while the union itself could not take legal action on behalf of the teachers “we have made our legal counsel available to do that on behalf of each individual who was so affected by the actions of the police”.
Speaking on a radio station here Wednesday, Azille said he could confirm that the affected teachers would have met with the attorney “to work out all the details” regarding the pending lawsuit.
In October last year, several teachers at the secondary school claimed they had been violated by the police when they were stripped search after a teacher had reported that over EC$4,500 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) had been stolen from her bag.
The teachers claimed that when the police arrived after classes had been dismissed 14 teachers, who were still on the compound were each made to strip naked and searched by a group of police officers.
In addition, the male and female teachers, were also made to squat in front of strangers.
”It is something …we are not relenting on because we feel very strongly that the actions of the police …were pretty much unprofessional…”.
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Does Mr. Azille have any interest in politics?
They probably should have carried all of them to the station separately, then made arrangement for two doctors or a doctor of the teacher’s choice to be present while they are being searched. They could have call the msjmc and have the radiologist on standby to X-ray each teacher. The teachers could have refused the search and would have been arrested on suspicion and still be searched similarly. What seems clear is that they decided to cooperate for whatever reason and is now claiming to be embarrassed after new got out. Was the procedure incorrect? Maybe but was it illegal absolutely no. Was the report found or proven to be false? Nope.
What about the TEACHER IN QUESTION who made the report claiming to have lost box money? I bet she is related to or friends with one of the officers who conducted the striptease….um…er… strip search. Is said teacher also a member of the Union?
If there is any proof that she was untruthful then she can be prosecuted for making a false report. To date that has not been proven. Can you provide concrete evidence that the lady and an officer or a few of them are friends? Antigua is only yea big so A lot of police will know a few people in the community, so what are you suggesting Somme impropriety or collusion going on?
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