A University of Belize student says she was roughed up and sexually assaulted by police - and Esther Middleton says she has her torn blouse to prove it. Middleton was stopped by police around 7 last night for allegedly riding somebody on her bike, or "double riding" as it is called. She was charged this morning in court for carrying a person on a bicycle. But that is only half the story according to Middleton. She told Keith Swift she wasn't double riding but instead she was sexually assaulted by a police sergeant. She says it began when police tried to arrest her.
Esther Middleton, Alleges Police Brutality
"All I felt was somebody grabbing my blouse and the person dragged my blouse. When I turned around, it was the same Sergeant and he grabbed my blouse and he ripped it. He ripped my blouse and I told him to let me go because it was not me who was riding anyone on the bike, it was my boyfriend. So I continued to pull away and he had me held and when I turned he tried to grab me again but while grabbing at me he touched my vagina. So I told him, you know something, do not touch me again. I told him he had no right because he had a female police assistant and he could let her deal with me."
Keith Swift,
You're saying you weren't double riding?
Esther Middleton,
"No I was not double riding. It was my boyfriend. He had my daughter. He went to the station and they didn't even do nothing to him."
Keith Swift,
They said that you were double riding with Deshawn Martinez.
Esther Middleton,
"The name is not Deshawn, it was a young girl by the shop. She was not on my bike, she was at the store. Because they know that they had torn me, violated my rights, that they needed to put a charge on me and that is why they took me to the station. There they locked me in a cell like I was a criminal. They locked me there for like half an hour.
All of this is stressing me out, I had exams and everything and they are just keeping me behind. I am not a person that is involved with the law. I have never been charged with anything, never been locked in a cell. I need to appeal to the public so that they need to know this, that people with these high ranks, they are using their uniform to (take) advantage (of) people and this is not right."
Esther has filed a report with the Police Internal Affairs Department and plans to do the same with the Ombudsman.
