Detainees claim forced oral sex in lock-up (Malaysiakini)

MADPET issued a Media Statement based on this Malaysiakini report. Police alleged to have committed this shameful acts - and SUHAKAM writes to the Police for details of the arrest and remand -- and is "...confident that the police will give this serious attention and will make sure such complaints do not arise again" What about this complaint? Why is SUHAKAM not carrying out an immediate investigation - and the truth must be sought surely not just from the police (whereby police officers are the alleged perpetrators of these HR violations). If I want police to investigate - then might as well complain to the police. Why do we have SUHAKAM -- why are people complaining to SUHAKAM - surely not for SUHAKAM to just shift it back to the police for the police to investigate. Am sure when the complain was made to the Magistrate, she would in accordance to law would have already asked the police to investigate and revert to her/him.... (there are procedures set out as to what a Magistrate should do when she receives a complaint...) Detainees claim forced oral sex in lock-up

Soon Li Tsin | Jun 20, 08 5:30pm

Four individuals have lodged complaints of police abuses, including being forced to perform oral sex, during their remand to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam). MCPX Lawyer S Karthigesan (right) has declined to name the individuals as police investigations into their initial arrests are still ongoing, but he was not circumspect about their alleged abuses. Originally, five individuals were arrested in Cheras on May 29 and held at the Kajang police station on a seven-day remand. During which two of them - one of them a juvenile - were forced to perform oral sex on each other. Four of them were also beaten up before getting their remands extended for another three days where the abuses continued. "The sergeant who made them perform oral sex on each other was angry that they informed the magistrate about it (abuses) and asked them why they made the complaint. "He then made them lick his boots, sprayed Ridsect (insect repellent) on their faces and were then beaten up with pipes by three or four police officers. "Only four of them were abused. One of them was never touched," Karthigesan said. The five also appeared to be victims of serial remand. It is a method of extending the period of detention without charging those arrested, by perpetually transferring detainees to police stations in different districts when their police remand orders lapse. The five were initially transferred to Cheras district police and then kept at the Salak Selatan Baru police station lock up. At this juncture, the father of one of the suspects, K Sukumaran (left), lodged a police report against the Kajang police station. At their next transfer point - Dang Wangi police district headquarters - four of the five lodged police reports, before they were transferred on to Brickfields police station for three days. Suhakam's intervention is necessary According to Karthigesan four were charged at the Ampang Sessions Court with alleged gang robbery, and one of them was released without being charged. Two of the quartet are out on bail, while the remaining two - unable to post the RM5,000 bail - are in Sungai Buloh Prison. Karthigesan hoped that Suhakam would get involved and asked for an investigation into these alleged police abuses. "There is a gross abuse of human rights here and we want a proper investigation done on this matter. Suhakam's intervention is necessary," he said. Suhakam commissioner N Siva Subramaniam, who was present to receive the complaint, said that they have sent a letter to the Kajang police chief on June 13 to get details of the arrests and the remand. "We will wait for an answer from them and this would be very serious if proven true. I am confident that the police will give this serious attention and will make sure such complaints do not arise again," he said at the press conference. He added that they have also sent a copy of that letter to federal police headquarters Bukit Aman for further action. After the press conference, Karthigesan said the five are related and are involved in a small family business.