PG Minor Also Detained for Questioning

Sharlene Ramclam

While Valentine is on the way to Punta Gorda, a PG youth is currently detained at the police station in that southern municipality in connection with Pop’s murder On Sunday night, the family of a fifteen-year old was detained by police as a way of smoking out Barillas for questioning in connection with the murder. The minor had been living in Dangriga for some time and traveled to PG when he heart he was wanted. On Monday evening, he was detained and after a short release on Wednesday, he was re-arrested and remains in custody. News Five spoke with his mother, Sharlene Ramclam, who has retained the services of attorney Audrey Matura-Shepherd. Ramclam says that her son’s rights have been violated because he has been questioned in the absence of a parent or even a social worker.

On the Phone: Sharlene Ramclam, Mother of Louis Barillas

“When they brought us to the police station, I asked them what I was there for. They didn’t tell me anything; they said you are detained pending investigation. They put me and the girl in a cell, my minor son in the cell; the other son that they wanted, he is working in Dangriga; the fifteen year old. So I told somebody to tell my daughter that we are at the police station. She got the message about an hour after and she told my son from Dangriga who was working there to come down because they had us detained and they were asking about him. He voluntarily went into the police station; nobody had to arrest him or anything. He was detained in a cell at seven o’clock on Monday even. Five minutes after seven some police came and took him away; that was in the night and I stayed in the cell and I waited and they didn’t bring him back. Other officers say he is in questioning at night.  I did not see my son until the following evening after four o’clock I saw my son. He was taken from here. Today when Miss Audrey came and was talking to him, he said he was taken to Colombia. They slapped him. They interviewed him and they started slapping him and then the police man threatened him that they will throw him in Colombia River if he doesn’t talk what he knows. He told me they got a stapler and told him they would staple his hand if he doesn’t talk. All things they did to this fifteen year old boy. When they took him, he told me that they were questioning him and there was no social worker around. They were from Dragon unit and from high police, but no social worker around. He told me when the social worker comes around, they say a couple things and as she left, they grab him and put him in interrogation room again and start questioning him without her presence and not even me and I was locked up. They could have at least get me from downstairs and take me with him so that I could know what’s happening.”