Escapee Nicole Lake.
WILLEMSTAD--Interim director of “Sentro di Detenshon i Korekshon Korsou” (SDKK) Richenald Ricardo has been relieved of his duties by Curaçao Minister of Justice Shalten Hato (MFK).
Government is in search of a new director for the penitentiary. As of November 1, Anthony Hasselmeijer is acting as such, pending the appointment of a permanent warden.
Hasselmeijer was already part of the management team as the unit head for special detention. Since the retirement of former director Urny Floran last year, SDKK has had a series of interim directors.
It is unknown whether Ricardo's sudden departure is related to an incident involving detainee Nicole Lake on Saturday. Lake (24) fled from the women’s section but was caught 24 hours later.
Police found her based on a tip, at the plains of San Pedro and she did not resist arrest. They also detained a young man suspected of harbouring the one-day fugitive.
Lake, who had escaped from juvenile detention at a younger age on numerous occasions, managed to break out of SDKK, prompting an immediate manhunt. She was serving a sentence for assaulting and threatening her ex-partner, who is also incarcerated.
Authorities have initiated an extensive investigation to determine how Lake was able to flee. During the escape, surveillance cameras were out of order both inside and outside, while there was also a shift change. The exterior cameras were not functioning due to a power outage.
Additionally, a getaway vehicle was apparently waiting outside the prison, allowing Lake to change out of her prison attire into regular clothes. She had been receiving psychiatric treatment at the Forensic Observation and Treatment Department FOBA of SDKK.
