Local Govt Commission to probe City policeman’s alleged sexual assault of a minor

Last Updated on Friday, 5 January 2018, 19:30 by Denis Chabrol

THE Local Government Commission (LGC) will now be investigating the alleged sexual assault of a juvenile by a City Constabulary officer while in detention at the Town Constabulary’s lockups.

Town Clerk Royston King said the decision was taken to forward the matter to the LGC after the city council received legal advice to do so.

LGC Chairman Mortimer Mingo has since informed the council that the commission will be dealing with the issue at the earliest possible opportunity.

Two members of the City Constabulary were fired in connection with the allegation, but based on advice from Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan, they were later reinstated and sent on administrative leave.

In letters signed by King, those dismissed included the alleged perpetrator, Lance Corporal Clifton Pellew. “This is due to your gross misconduct,” between August 22 and August 23, 2017 “at the Regent Street Outpost where you engaged in a sexual act with a juvenile.”

Corporal 1740 Quacy Baveghems was dismissed due to his dereliction of duty between the same period. “You stated that you saw Lance Corporal Clifton Pellew engaging in a sexual act with a juvenile that was in the custody of the City Constabulary but you took no action. Further, you made no entry of the occurrence in the station diary,” the Town Clerk stated in that letter.

Baveghems has since been re-instated and sent on administrative leave. He has acknowledged failing to make an entry into the occurrence book, but has insisted that he would never tolerate such indecent sex acts.

A group of persons, originally associated with the Movement Against Parking Meters, has been holding occasional midday picketing exercises outside City Hall calling for a proper probe of the sex crime committed on the juvenile.