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CHILDREN FIRST: Kids who’ve lost parents and family friends lead the march

Protesters remember 2,200-plus loved ones who have died while being detained by the state

Nine-year-old Manisha Bates last saw her mother when she was four. Her lasting memory is of her mother – 19-year-old Anne Marie Bates – giving birth to a sibling.

Two weeks after the birth, her mother was remanded in custody after breaching bail terms relating to an armed robbery charge. In August 2001, Bates was found hanging in her cell at HMP Brockhill.

Earlier this year, after a five-year delay, an inquest found that Bates, who had a history of drug dependency, was placed in an inappropriate environment which did not help her and was not given adequate support despite being at risk of suicide and self-harm.

Documents obtained by the pressure group Inquest, said a judge had requested Bates should be placed in a bail hostel. Instead, Bates remained in prison until she died because officials failed to find her a place.

A few days ago, Manisha clutched a bunch of flowers, a banner bearing her mother’s name and photograph and marched at the front of a procession held to remember and to continue the call for justice for some of more than 2,200 people who have died in the custody of the state since 1995.

INMATES

Inquest said that since 1995, they are aware of 580 deaths in police custody, 1,694 deaths in prison custody; nine deaths in immigration detention centres and two in secure training centres. It is not clear how many of these deaths are questionable.

“We have no mum now,” Manisha’s banner read. She told The Voice: “If I could meet with whoever is responsible, I’d say you’ve done a very bad thing.”

Manisha was not alone. Her two brothers, aged five and seven and several other children who lost relatives and parents in custody, joined hundreds of victims’ relatives in a silent march along Whitehall to stand across from the gates of Downing street in London, where they loudly called for justice for their loved ones.

“What do we want?” shouted Janet Alder, whose brother, Christopher, died in police custody in Hull in April 1998. “Justice!” was the answering call.

“When do we want it?”

“Now,” they answered.

“No Justice!” she bellowed.

“No Peace,” the protesters shouted as members of the police watched.

“There’s still a system here that colludes to ignore the severity and truth about what’s happening. Innocent people are losing their lives because of those paid to make sure we abide by the law. Even when the evidence is in front of their faces, they still choose to be in denial,” Alder told The Voice, gesturing to a T-shirt, which called for ‘Justice for Chris Alder. Stop the Cover Up.’

Pat Coker, whose son Paul died in custody at the Plumstead police station two hours after being restrained by officers and arrested for causing a breach of the peace, declared: “We are here today to remember our dead and each family fighting for justice. It’s also a day of reminding the public that we are not going away. I am angry, very angry, that such things are allowed to happen in this country.” As protesters shouted, some relatives laid flowers and photographs of lost relatives. Manisha was among them. As the nine-year-old Birmingham resident placed her flowers by the gates of Downing Street, tears flowed.

PETITION

“She often cries for her mom,” said Bates’ mother, Violet Brayson, comforting Manisha, even as tears glistened in her eyes. Representatives from six families also entered Downing Street to present a petition, which challenged prime minister Tony Blair to intervene in the lack of justice for many families following a death in custody.

Among them was Sieta Lambrias, sister to Mikey Powell, a father of three who died in police custody in Birmingham in September 2003; Brenda Weinberg, whose brother, Brian Douglas, also a father, died in police custody in Clapham London in May 1995 and Patricia da Silva, cousin to Jean Charles de Menezes, the 27-year-old Brazilian shot dead by police at Stockwell tube station in 2005 after being mistaken for a terrorist. All three women are still awaiting justice for their relatives.

“This is the eighth year that we have had the march. It sickens me to see there are so many new faces. Every year, there are more new faces,” said Weinberg, who is also chair of Families and Friends United which campaigns for an end to deaths in custody.

“We are still demanding justice. For me, the grief is like that of any family but it’s two-fold because he died unjustly,” she said.

Da Silva added: “I say to Tony Blair, me and my family want justice and you have this power for making this happen. Please. Justice for my family and many families here.”

Delores Nevins, one of the new faces on the march, was making a similar plea. She said she needed answers on what happened to her son, Junior Anthony Daniels, who died while in custody at the Bath Road Detention Centre, Heathrow in February 2006.

“Hate is what I am feeling, which is not a nice thing. Hate and sorrow. They need to change the way they operate,” said Nevins, who also lost a grandchild after her son’s pregnant wife lost her baby after hearing about his death.

Some family members told The Voice that they are living with anger, disillusionment and heartbreak.

“Justice in Britain is non-existent. With this, they know we are looking at them and that people are aware of what they are doing.

“We’ve lost a son but maybe someone else’s son will be alive,” said Doreen Jjuuko, Ricky Bishop’s mother. Bishop was stopped and arrested by the police on November 22, 2001. Witnesses and his family said Bishop was stopped, arrested, and taken to Brixton police station.

MISADVENTURE

During an inquest into Bishop’s death, the coroner concluded that he had died from “misadventure,” a verdict that exonerated the police.

This infuriates Bishop’s sister, Rhonda. She brought her sons, five-year-old Angelo and two-year-old Luciano, to the march. Angelo had only been five-months old when his uncle died.

But, a police veteran of 20 years attached to Kingston police station, who was providing security near Downing Street, told The Voice that while it was easy for some to criticise the police, the public should also consider that many police officers act responsibly even when faced with situations where they are attacked.

Acting police inspector Bob Morley said the police force has changed for the better. He said officers get more training so they can better deal with the public; police actions and stations are becoming more transparent; and there is constant review of police actions to see what can be improved or done differently.

REGRETTABLE

“Every death is regrettable… Every officer comes on duty to do his or her best. We debrief every incident. Life is about learning,” he said.

For many marchers, the protest did present a learning opportunity to pass on lessons to the younger generation, especially because some of the victims who died in custody were young.

One of them is Adam Rickwood, who was only 14 when he was remanded to, and later died at, a secure training centre in 2004.

Inquest told reporters in 2004 there was evidence that restraint also played a role in the 14-year-old’s death at Hassockfield in County Durham. Omo Wale from Galaxy Radio brought his four children, aged three to 13, to learn “that being arrested by the police can have greater consequences than a criminal record. They are here to understand the extent of the evil,” Wale said.

Published: 10 November 2006
Issue: 1243

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