Sunday, 13 September 2009

Like Lambs to the Slaughter

One of the major problems with most drug policies worldwide is the branding of users as criminals. This has led to many incidents where normal, everyday people have been locked up with hardened crims and left to defend for themselves in the vicious prison system. Ironically as Mexico decriminalised small amounts of drugs, one young man was detained for possession of cannabis only a few months shy of the new laws. Whilst in lockup, he was raped.

Youngster Was Detained For Marijuana Possession And Raped At Police Station
Momento24
August 2009


A young man was raped in the cells of Boulogne police station. He’d been detained for marijuana possession. The youngster’s lawyer, Jose Vera, announced that his client will file a millionaire suit against the state.

The fact came into light today, a day after the Supreme Court decriminalized the possession of drugs for personal use, but it had taken place in February 2007, .

The Court sentenced the rapist to 23 years in prison and ordered further proceedings against the police who didn’t watch over the boy.

“His life was ruined for a joint. It’s one of those cases that should have never happened,” said Vera.

“Many things failed. But above all we must point out the sensless criterion for detaining a boy for a whole weekend for a spliff.”

“Besides, it is also very serious that a college kid like this were locked into the same dungeon with really dangerous prisoners.”

The boy, named David, was arrested for a previous case so he didn’t possess any marijuana when he was nabbed by police.
The patrol officers decided to take him anyway and put him in jail.

The boy was placed in a cell with the prisoners’ leader Ricardo Juarez, alias “El Cabezon”, for two days. As soon as Juarez saw David threatened to impale him with a stick with a knife on the tip. Then he stole his belongings. The rape took place the following night. Juarez’s cell was unlocked and while the guard nodded off the accused sneaked off his cell, took David by the throat and raped him for ten minutes.

The next day David was released. The boy went to a hospital, who testified at trial that the boy had been abused. Then he contacted his attorney to take the case to Court where two years later Juarez was sentenced to 23 years in prison for aggravated sexual abuse and use of weapon. He also requested an appeal against the guard who neglected the victim.

Related Articles:
Collateral Damage
5 Grams of Heroin Sends You to Jail

3 comments:

Bron said...

I knew a guy once who was doing time for armed robbery (don't ask how I knew him, he's dead now) and he told me some horrific stories. It's very common, prison rape. And very sad. There should be more awareness about it, but I suspect a lot of people tend to think, "Well they did the crime, they deserve it!"

Anonymous said...

I would be careful labeling people who are imprisoned for drugs as "normal, everyday people", whilst others as "hardened crims". A lot of "harden crims" are also people who have been discriminated against by many various laws - just as drug laws discriminate.

Terry Wright said...

Thanks Bron
So many armchair judges are prepared to scream for tougher laws and more jail time without knowing jackshit about it. Prison is brutal and should be a last resort always.

Thanks Anon.
Point taken.