AROUCA, Trinidad--From his prison cell at Golden Grove, Arouca, accused child beater Dexter Gobin was forced to re-enact scenes from a viral video, and smacked on the head while being made to drink from a soft drink bottle containing milk.
This was the allegation levelled on Thursday by Gobin’s attorney Fareed Ali, who said he would be making a complaint about Gobin’s humiliating experience to the Commissioner of Prisons.
Gobin appeared in court on Monday along with his wife Yanique Taylor-Gobin, charged with assaulting a two-year-old girl, identified by the court as “Baby Esha,” on October 17 and 20.
The couple was arrested after a social media campaign was launched to find the people seen in a video posted online, which showed a traumatised infant girl being savagely beaten by an obese man when she refused to drink from a bottle fast enough for his satisfaction.
Taylor-Gobin, a Jamaican, was detained in prison custody because she is not a legal resident.
Gobin was granted TT $150,000 bail but has been unable to secure it. He remains in prison custody, while his lawyer works to have the bail sum reduced.
However, Ali said on Thursday, when he met Gobin in prison, his client claimed that after his appearance at the Tunapuna Magistrates Court on Monday, he was escorted to a room by three prison officers where he was confronted with the allegations of assaulting “Baby Esha.”
Ali said: “It is alleged that the three prison officers re-enacted the video clip and slapped and smacked Dexter Gobin about the head forcing him to drink a soft drink bottle filled with milk.”
Ali said this caused “great humiliation to Dexter Gobin and it is distasteful to learn of the doings of prison officers whose duty is to look after the wellbeing of inmates.”
Ali said he would be forwarding correspondence to Prison Commissioner Sterling Stewart regarding Gobin’s allegations and seeking legal recourse.
Ali said Gobin was placed in a cell by himself and has been receiving medical attention for his condition. He is also being allowed separate “airings” away from the general prison population. ~ Trinidad Express ~
