Four teenagers from Charity village on the Essequibo Coast are alleging that they were badly beaten by ranks attached to ‘G’ Division of the Guyana Police Force.

According to information reaching Guyana Chronicle, the teenagers along with their parents, went to Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR) Chairman of Region Two, Prince Holder earlier this week to seek advice.

Holder, upon seeing the severity of the injuries the teens sustained, decided to contact Commander of ‘G’ Division, Khalid Pareshram who in turn advised that the teenagers give statements.

The teenagers, ages 13, 14, 13 and 15, in the presence of their guardians, said they were beaten on different occasions during last weekend by the police and they were subsequently taken to the Charity Police station.

When asked what was the offence they committed, one of the boys related that he was walking on the road last weekend when the police, who were on patrol duty, hauled him into their vehicle and started to cuff and beat him with a baton.

He said the ranks  wanted to take him to the Charity Wharf to dump him overboard but he began to scream. The ranks then decided to take the child to the Charity Police station and there, he alleged that the ranks took an electrical wire and started to choke and beat him mercilessly. He said he was also beaten by the ranks on Monday.

The lad was released on Tuesday with countless marks of violence on his skin. He has since obtained a medical report from the Oscar Joseph Hospital at Charity.

Another teenager said that he cannot hear properly due to the severe beating he received. He said that he was cuffed several times on his way to the police station. He said the police is accusing him of robbing a resident and he noted that the ranks beat him in order to obtain a confession from him.

Holder said he will be making a report at the Police Complaints Authority and commented that police brutality is a cruel act.

He said several other teenagers, especially in the Charity area, were abused in the past. Holder said that he will be seeking representations for the children as he noted the severity of their injuries.