Brison said while the young man identified as Marlando Robinson is released he must report to the police once per week until his documents are finalized and he is deported from St. Maarten.
Robinson was born on St. Maarten to Jamaican parents. However, the young man never obtained a passport since his mother migrated to England some ten years ago leaving him behind with relatives.
Brison said the young man was in police custody for ten weeks which pushed him over the edge and he attempted to take his own life on his birthday which was Wednesday May 4th.
In the meantime, the police department in a press release said that in regard to the recent unfortunate incident at the Police Head Quarters in Philipsburg, which took place on Wednesday May 4th, where M. R. 16 years of age who was being held for immigration purposes attempted to commit suicide by hanging, the Police Department is making the following statement.
The police department confirmed that this incident took place and immediately after the police officers on duty were alerted by the other prisoners of what was going on in the cell where the victim was being held and they prevented the attempt. The paramedics were notified of the incident and they arrived shortly after to give the victim the necessary medical attention.
Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson said M. R. is no stranger to police because of his involvement in several criminal investigations. R. was arrested on October 30th 2010 as a suspect in an armed robbery. The arrest took place in an old shack on the "dump" where the suspect was residing alone. He was not prosecuted neither convicted for this robbery case and he was handed over to the Immigration Department due to the fact that he could not provide any sort of identification.
Several attempts by local immigration officials was made to have the family members of M. R. bring in proper identification, to no avail. The victim has been abandoned by his family because of his negative behaviour said the police spokesman.
However, the young man's mother Diana Robinson who is currently residing in England said she left her son with relatives, namely her mother. Ms. Robinson said she left St. Maarten to seek a better life in England and her intention is to send for her child. Ms. Robinson said her mother passed away and her son is taken care of by her other siblings and close friends. Ms. Robinson said her son's father resides and works on St. Maarten but the man she said refused to take up his parental responsibilities. "When I was living in St. Maarten I went to the court of guardianship and my son's father said he is not the father of my son even though my son resembles him. I am urging authorities on St. Maarten to take a DNA sample from my son and his father so that man would take up his responsibilities." Ms. Robinson further explained that while the police and immigration on St. Maarten is determined to send her son to Jamaica, the youth she said has no surviving relatives living in Jamaica. "Right now all my relatives are living on St. Maarten. My mother died so I don't know who they are sending my son to," Ms. Robinson said.
The distraught mother said that she supports her son and that he lacks nothing, but it seems as though he is following the wrong company like most youths today. "While I was in St. Maarten I could not provide for me and my son because I had no documents and immigration once held me so I could not continue working for people on the island and remain illegal. I left St. Maarten to seek a better life for me and my son."
Besides that the international treaty on the protection of the rights of the child clearly states in article three that a child cannot be held accountable for his or her parent's shortcomings. Marlando Robinson was held in police detention for ten weeks even though the immigration department knows that the young man has no travel document and deporting him seems impossible; a clear violation of the LTU which states that no one can be held in detention when there is no prospect of obtaining a travel document for the illegal immigrant.
The police spokesman said in January 2011 through the intervention of the Court of Guardianship a caretaker was located, where M. R. would be able to stay until his identification was properly established. He was then released in the hands of the care taker. In February 2011 the caretaker informed immigration officials that due to the uncontrollable and negative behaviour of M. R., he would not be able to stay any longer. The caretaker also stated that M. R. was involved in the excessive use of drugs and at one time pulled a knife on her and threatened to use it. The caretaker was forced to flee her home to avoid being injured. The immigration officials were obligated to again place M. R. in custody because he seemingly became a threat to public safety.
In the meantime, regular communication and consultation with the Jamaican High Commission in Trinidad and Tobago and the British Counsel have been taken place. They have also been informed of this recent incident. Immigration officials have also received confirmation from the Jamaican High Counsel that M. R. who, has a Jamaican passport, will receive travel documents to travel to Jamaica after all necessary costs have been covered. These documents will be delivered to the Immigration Department within the coming days. M. R. is not stateless. He is a Jamaican national. He left Sint Maarten as an infant to live in Jamaica with his grandmother and returned to Sint Maarten in 2006.
A psychiatric evaluation was conducted by Dr. Sachin Gondotra who declared that M. R. is not suffering of any mental defects.
In the meantime, M. R. will be released in the custody of a friend of the family who will allow him to stay until all arrangements have been made for him to travel to Jamaica where he will be in custody of children services.
