Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Jul 23, 2025

Jamaican seeks millions of $$ for false arrest in The Bahamas

Jamaican seeks millions of $$ for false arrest in The Bahamas

A Jamaican national who spent more than nine years in jail here, despite having not been convicted of a crime, is seeking US$27 million in damages from the State.
In 2006, Matthew Sewell, who was first detained when he was 18 years old, was accused of raping a six-year-old girl and was detained at The Bahamas Department of Correctional Services for two years before he was granted bail in 2008. Three years later, he was once again charged with rape and remained in custody for over four years without trial.

In August 2013, Sewell was granted bail and the rape charges from 2006 and 2009 were dismissed. However, two months later, he was arrested in connection with a house-breaking incident.

While on bail for that charge, Sewell was informed he was wanted for murder and taken back into custody. He was never formally charged with that offence.

In 2014, a magistrate dismissed the charges related to the housebreaking, but Sewell was returned to prison.

Earlier this week, Justice Ruth Bowe-Darville struck out the government's defence and scheduled a hearing on October 28 for the assessment of damages after Sewell instituted legal proceedings against the tate for damages related to arbitrary and unlawful detention, battery, assault, malicious prosecution and breaches of his fundamental rights under the Constitution.

He is also seeking US$27 million in damages.

Noted human rights lawyer, Queen Counsel Fred Smith, said his client's case is just the “tip of the iceberg” as it relates to human rights abuses here.

“We are very pleased that the court has given judgment in favour of Mr Sewell in relation to his claims of abuse over the nine years and nine months,” Smith told the Tribune newspaper.

"To put this in perspective, the court has held that Mr Sewell was falsely imprisoned for 3,568 days illegally.

“That is a chunk of nearly a decade stolen from Mr Sewell; [starting] at the age of 18-years-old until he was 28. It baffles a civilised mind to think that between the government, prison, police and immigration authorities, Mr Sewell's rights were repeatedly abused,” the attorney added.

Smith said his client has suffered tremendously as a result of the wrongful incarceration, to include physical injuries such as a broken nose, a near-gouged out eye, and repeated beatings.

He said Sewell has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and schizophrenia.

“This young man has been forever scarred by the inhumane and degrading treatment he received for nearly 10 years in the clutches of a system of institutionalised civil crimes against humanity,” Smith argued, telling the newspaper “this kind of case reflects savagery, ignorance and inhumanity which really is internationally embarrassing to The Bahamas.

“The government failed to make discovery, they failed to abide by the court orders, they failed to file any witness statements and so the court struck out their defence,” he added.

In June this year, Rights Bahamas compared Sewell's situation to that of Haitian migrants who had made complaints about deplorable conditions at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre, where they were being held.

“We call upon the Government of The Bahamas to publicly reject and renounce all forms of law enforcement abuse and declare its solidarity with the many victims within its jurisdiction,” the human rights group said, after the Supreme Court had ordered a US$60,000 interim payment within 60 days as a result of his ongoing legal battle over the false imprisonment case.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×