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Almost twenty years ago, Richard Tilt, then then head of the prison service declared that due to a genetic weakness, Afrikans were more likely than Europeans to die when restrained. (1)
Not surprisingly uproar ensued and Tilt was forced to walk back his views and the pseudo-science he based them on. Afrikan continued to die in custody though. Right up the present. Even while the family of Edir ”Edson” Frederico Da Costa mourn his death last month after police detention, the inquest into the death of Sarah Reed, who died while detained in Holloway Prison in January 2016, is now underway at the London Coroner’s Court. (2)
But tonight we return to another case that recently arrived at a critical juncture. 23 year old IT graduate Olaseni Lewis who died on 31 Mosiah (Aug) 2010 as a result of prolonged restraint by up to 11 police officers at Bethlem Royal Hospital (part of the South London and Maudsley “SLAM” Mental Health Trust). It was not until February of this year that the inquest began, concluding on May 9th. In the interim the family have endured the typical obfuscation from the state agencies including a botched Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and the rejection of any criminal charges against the officers involved by the CPS. (3)
They also had an intervention of sorts by the then Home Secretary and now Prime Minister Theresa May. In April 2015 she wrote to the families of Olaseni Lewis and Sean Rigg (who died in police custody in Mosiah 2008) after stating how “moved she was by their suffering.” She then announced the launch of an launch independent review of deaths in police custody. (4) May has been rather less effusive on this issue as Prime Minister and is now being accused of suppressing the very report she commissioned. The review by Dame Elish Angiolini was due to be published over a year ago but the government have offered no release date only saying that it “will be published in due course.” (5)
When we had Marcia Riigg, Ajibola Lewis and Susan Alexander (mother of Azelle Rodney) on Afrika Speaks with Alkebu-Lan on Galaxy Radio on 01/06/15, May’s overtures were met with varying degrees of scepticism – in hindsight, justifiably so.
The recent conclusion of the Olaseni Lewis inquest means that the quest for justice continues. The details that emerged from the 29 days of evidence make harrowing reading. Olaseni mother Ajibola, reflected at the inquest’s conclusion
“When Seni became ill, we turned to the state in our desperation: we took him to hospital which we thought was the best place for him. We shall always bear the cross of knowing that, instead of the help and care he needed, Seni met with his death.
Now, after almost seven years of struggle to get here, the last three months have allowed us to hear for ourselves about what happened to Seni. We have heard about the failures at multiple levels amongst the management and staff at Bethlem Royal Hospital: instead of looking after him, they called the police to deal with him. And we have heard about the brute force with which the police held Seni in a prolonged restraint which they knew to be dangerous: a restraint that was maintained until Seni was dead for all intents and purposes.” (6)
She also called for the officers involved to be prosecuted, in essence an appeal to the Crown Prosecution Service to review their previous “insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of a conviction” decision. (7)
In parallel to the Sean Rigg inquest in 2012, the coroner prevented the jury from returning a verdict of unlawful killing but they still managed to return a damning narrative verdict, including :
“Multiple failures at multiple levels within Bethlem Royal Hospital meant that the hospital staff had to call upon the assistance of the police when Seni became unwell.
The force used by the police officers over two successive periods of prolonged restraint of Seni – including the use of mechanical restraints – was excessive, unreasonable, unnecessary and disproportionate, and contributed to Seni’s death.
The failure on the part of the hospital staff and the police officers alike to provide basic life support when Seni collapsed under restraint also contributed to his death.” (8)
The treatment meted out to Olaseni Lewis would have been more appropriate if it were directed at some kind of beast of burden let alone a vulnerable young man. A further perusal of the staff accounts in inquest transcripts reveals that were concern was expressed it seemed to expressly and consistent for the door! It was the damage to a ward door, allegedly caused by Olaseni that precipitated the police being called. At the inquest, everybody seemed to mention the door! Poor door. Consequently, the door’s assailant was ‘restrained to death.’ (9)
Inhuman, treatment has been a central feature of deaths in a way that is seen as uniquely British. In fact the Afrika Speaks producer recalls attending a screening of the film Injustice where the director shared that his even American based colleagues found the UK deaths in custody more physical and brutal (and probably painful) precisely due to the absence of guns that are tend to more clinical and instantaneous (of course the Eric Garner case is a key exception). Moreover, such treatment is not necessarily confined to custodial situations.
When Nigerian national Ese Alabi fell ill while on holiday in the UK in 2006 she was “consigned to certain death by harsh new rules” based on hysteria about health tourism. (10) 21 year old Sarah Mulenga was also consigned to death when paramedics who arrived at her home when she fell ill refused to take her to hospital – actually their primary function. It brings to mind a perverse yet tragic version of one of those “you had one job” memes. (11)
In the end, tribute needs to be paid to the Lewis family for their unflinching resilience in their quest for justice, though delayed (and therefore already arguably denied) their fight is a testament). Though it remains to be seem where the case ventures next, the journey so far could still be seen as a chipping away of the state cladding of the judicial system.
(1) BBC News (27/03/98) Prison boss in race row. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/70534.stm
(2) INQUEST (03/07/17) Inquest into death of Sarah Reed, found dead in her cell in HMP Holloway after an acute mental health crisis, opens Tuesday. http://www.inquest.org.uk/media/pr/sarah-reed-opening
(3) Metropolitan Police (09/05/17) Statement re: Olaseni Lewis inquest conclusion. http://news.met.police.uk/news/statement-re-olaseni-lewis-inquest-conclusion-240862
(4) Vikram Dodd (23/07/2015) Theresa May to launch independent review of deaths in police custody.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jul/23/theresa-may-independent-review-deaths-police-custody-speech
(5) Rachael Burnett (03/07/17) Theresa May accused of suppressing report into deaths in police custody. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/there-may-police-custody-deaths-report-amber-rudd-human-rights-a7820651.html
(6) INQUEST (09/05/17) Jury condemns police restraint of young black man in mental health hospital whilst medical staff looked on. http://www.inquest.org.uk/media/pr/seni-lewis-conclusion
7() CPS (29/05/15) Jury condemns police restraint of young black man in mental health hospital whilst medical staff looked on. http://www.inquest.org.uk/media/pr/seni-lewis-conclusion
(8) Ibid.
(9) INQUEST (09/05/17) Inquest for Olaseni Lewis – Chronology and Transcript Quotes – Collated by the Lewis Family. http://inquest.org.uk/media/news/seni-lewis-evidence-transcript
(10) Maxine Frith (17/05/06) Immigration: Mother consigned to certain death by harsh new rules. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/immigration-mother-consigned-to-certain-death-by-harsh-new-rules-478628.html
(11) BBC (14/05/13) Sarah Mulenga died after trainee paramedics’ ‘failings’ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22519477
we ask the question:
Deaths in custody – Will we ever get justice? Part 5
1. Why did the Olaseni Lewis coroner rule out an “unlawful death” verdict?
2. Why do you think the government’s review into deaths in custody has not been released yet?
3. Is LBGTQ compatible with Afrikan Spirituality?
4. Why is the conviction of police officers in these types of cases deemed so “unrealistic” ?
5. Is there anything we can do to prevent the prevalence of deaths in custody?
Our very special guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK and national co-Chair of the interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Guide To Excellence.
Mama Ajibola Lewis: the mother of Olaseni Lewis, the 23 year-old IT graduate who died after prolonged police restraint in Mosiah (Aug) 2010. Mama Ajibola has been central to seven year campaign to get to the truth about her son’s death.
Hear weekly discussions and lively debate on all issues affecting the Afrikan community, at home and abroad. We talk it straight and make it plain!
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