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Haitian Immigrant prisoner allegedly attempts suicide!

- Drinks cleaning liquid; rushed to Peebles Hospital
An inmate of HM Prison was taken to Peebles Hospital today, September 22, 2016 after he reportedly ingested a poisonous substance. Photo: VINO/File
Left: Superintendent of Prisons Mr David Foot. Right: Hon Myron V. Walwyn, Minister for Education and Culture, which has oversight of HM Prison. Photo: VINO/File
Left: Superintendent of Prisons Mr David Foot. Right: Hon Myron V. Walwyn, Minister for Education and Culture, which has oversight of HM Prison. Photo: VINO/File
BALSAM GHUT, Tortola, VI- Word reaching our newsroom from our Team of Reporters around the Virgin Islands today September 22, 2016 is that a Haitian prisoner housed at Her Majesty’s Prison at Balsam Ghut, on the main Island of Tortola, reportedly attempted suicide.

Reports are that the man, identified as Vertus Hubert, was given cleaning liquid to clean the prison’s restroom close to his cell.

At around 9:30 A.M. this morning a Prison Officer found Hubert frothing and he was rushed to Peebles Hospital.

It is alleged that the prisoner drank the cleaning liquid. It is unclear if he was released from hospital, or what the investigation over his hospitalisation has unearthed.

Efforts to reach Superintendent of Prisons Mr David Foot and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Culture, which has oversight for HM Prison, were not successful.

HM Prison rocked by scandals

In recent weeks Her Majesty’s Prison under the leadership of UK National David Foot has been rocked by scandals.

On September 6, 2016 this news site first and accurately reported that an inmate, Kevin Tyson, set his cell on fire. No one was injured in the incident and it is not clear how the prisoner managed to start the fire.

Tyson was also reportedly involved in a fight with a prison officer at the Magistrate's Court in John's Hole on September 5, 2016. The prison officer reportedly suffered minor injuries.

This news site was further told that there was a second incident when the prisoners in the affected wing were let out of their cells due to the thick smoke from the fire. It is said that when the prisoners were released many of them pounced on another inmate, said to be Caucasion, dealing him several blows.

In July of this year, prison officials told this news site about prison officers having sexual intercourse with inmates, selling drugs and cell phones to inmates, visitation protocols being breached, and management having scant regards to officers’ complaints, which they said were just a few of the challenges plaguing Her Majesty’s Prison.

This news site also first and accurately reported on September 6, 2016 that Edrino Richards, known as 'Mr Escape', fled from prison officers while at Her Majesty's Prison in Balsam Ghut.

He was apprehended the following day.

11 Responses to “Haitian Immigrant prisoner allegedly attempts suicide!”

  • wize up (22/09/2016, 16:45) Like (2) Dislike (2) Reply
    Things ruff
  • Liat 521 (22/09/2016, 17:04) Like (9) Dislike (2) Reply
    Everyone wants to stay in the bvi
  • Topaz (22/09/2016, 18:16) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    Wasn't he supposed to be supervised even when cleaning the restroom.
  • cant read english (22/09/2016, 19:57) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    maybe the man thought it was a drink?
  • hhhmm (23/09/2016, 10:48) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Probably he wants to be in the hospital so after he can run away when no one is watching ???? #WATCHHIM
  • wise up (23/09/2016, 11:18) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    Just sit and understand this man for a second please,in jail ain got no money no family can't even go back to Haiti cause thing so rough down there kids can't eat what else to do, a lot of people here don't know the struggle think it easy to watch u kids hungry,"come down father come down"
  • LiKim (23/09/2016, 22:30) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Haitians earn about $ 400 per year,if they are fortunate to find work. The minimum wage is $5 per day. Any Haitian in Haiti who could amass $ 5000.00 and use it for a suicide mission reserves the right to commit suicide.

  • Come on (23/09/2016, 23:28) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    The cleaning stuff was not strong enough to kill him. He would have just end up with a bad stomach ache.
  • Yoly (27/09/2016, 21:27) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    The relatives of the 17 Cuban immigrants who are in the Majesty's Prison at Balsam Ghut since September 8th, we ask the competent authorities to verify the procedure to follow by the Department of Immigration since so far no official has approached the group of immigrants to meet their right to seek political asylum. It is unfair and illegal to imprison human beings who have committed no crime. On this island there is no detention center for immigrants and therefore they leave them forgotten in a common prison indefinitely in subhuman conditions, without communication, without clothes to change. The meal consists of two loaves of bread in the morning and two in the afternoon.
    The families call daily and no one answer the phone, calls does not go through, they do not any information to the families. We headed to the local press as neither the office of Immigration and Prison want to attend the calls we do every day to know until when they think they will have retained this group of immigrants, we demand the immediate release and allowed them to await the response of free asylum, the family members are willing to cover all expenses of our family on this island.

    Cuban immigrants are not criminals, they do not deserve to be in a common prison, many of them are good professionals, including some teachers, doctors...artists..their destiny was not this island, they accidentally came because they were abandoned at sea ... this group only seeks freedom and a life say we can not have in our country, Cuba.

    Enough of violating human rights ... they can not put in jail people who have not committed any crime ... please help us to release our sons and husbands now..Thanks ...
    !!! Liberty for the 17 Cuban immigrants !!!


    Relatives of the 17 Cubans imprisoned in Tortola.


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