The Five Demands

FORCED STRIP SEARCHES ARE “INHUMANE AND DEGRADING” interview with recently released POW,DD McLaughlin

14th February Edition of the County Derry Post..

An Ex POW PRISONER from Country Derry has launched a scathing attack on the Northern Ireland Prison Service regarding the ongoing practice of forced strip searches at Magheraberry prison. Speaking exclusively to Country Derry Post last night Ballinderry man Damien McLaughlin said that republican prisoners are exposed to systematic physical and mental abuse by the Prison Service guards, and gives a horrific account of forced strip searches. “On August 12, 2010 the republican prisoners, along with facilitators Peter Bunting and Conal McFeeley made an agreement withe Prison Service that the use of the BOSS (Body Orifice Security Scanner) would replace the practice of strip searching prisoners, he said. However Damien McLaughlin feels that after the agreement rather that eradicating the practice of the strip searches, they were in fact more frequent. In June and July of 2010 I was brought out to four court appear appearances without being stripped, but as soon as the agreement was signed, the number of strip searches were ramped up. Last September, I was brought to an interview room were the governor asked me to strip. When I said no, that we had agreement, six DST (Designated Search Team) men burst into the room. One of the hit me on the side of the head with a shield, and I was forced against the wall. They forced my arms out sideward and at an angle, the forced me onto the foor. They ripped off my jeans and boxers, while one wedged my head with knees, and my wrists were twisted to the point where I thought they would break. They moved a medector around my back passage then pushed me onto my knees. They had there hands over my mouth and nose and I could barely breathe, and all the while I was being repeatedly punched in the ribs. Then they pulled my head back as far as it would go, and used scissors to cut off my t-shirt, even cuttiing throught my holy scapular around my neck. When they had finished they cuffed me and dragged me out of the room, my trousers and boxers were not properly pulled up, and they brought me along the corridor in view of other prisoners. I was publically degraded and humillated.
I was then taken to Dungannon court house where I sat in holding cell all day, with t-shirt cut up the back. I was due not due to appear in court, and my solictor had not been contacted. In the evening, they just took me out of holding cell, back to Magheraberry and the exposed me to the whole ordeal again, strip searching me again before putting me back into my cell.
I had no contact with any other person other than the Prison Authority yet they subjected me to two unnecessary strip searches, because they could, said a distraught McLaughlin. According to McLauglin the BOSS chair is currently used for visits, but not for court outings. Prisoners attending trial will be subject to two strip searches per day possibly, over a six week period. Last year in a desperate attempt to force the prison Authorities to comply with their agreement, 11 prisoners embarked on a ‘dirty protest’ where they removed all content from there cells and smeared their excrement on the walls. For three weeks they were held 24hrs a day without exercise, and were living and eating in their own waste. The same prison guard who would for forcibly strip you and degrade you, would then bring your food to the cell with thumb or finger marks often in the bread and on the food, said McLaughlin. I’m calling on politicans to step up and make the prison service do what they agreed – use the BOSS chair. Other prisoners from Country Derry are being subjected to this on weekly basis and it is inhumane and degrading to any human being being he added. Also , prisoners like Marian Price being held in an all male prison, and Gavin Coyle who is being held in isolation since April last year, people like these need someone to speak up for them. “we had an SDLP delegation up a couple of weeks ago including Patsy McGlone, and we just need someone to take this on and get it sorted. It’s about the the criminalisation of Republican prisoners. This is a very serious situation its like back to the conditions of the late 70s in there and everyone outside is just turning their head away from it added the Ballinderry man.
Speaking last night Mid Ulster MLA Pasty McGlone said; I was part of a delegation to the prison two weeks ago, and it’s dead simple for me. It’s a basic human right that prisoners, no matter what their offence on outside, should be trated with dignity. I don’t see evidence of the agreement being implemented regarding strip searches. Our aim is to alleviate tensions within the prison, because it is clear that these tensions translate to what goes on outside the prison as well he added. We met the Minister for Justice withlin a couple of days of our visit, and we raised the issues, including Marian Price and the prisoners being held in isolation. We plan to meet him again in coming days, and we hope to get these issues addressed, and bring the pressure down. said McGlone.

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