The Torture Of A Sixteen Years Old - Corporals Finds
Themselves In A Quandary
No matter what the cause, no matter what the reason, the torture of the sixteen years old boy at the hands of the Corporals is an act of shameless abuse of authority that must be dealt with in the strongest terms possible. It is a disgrace of international proportions that has generated a public outcry owing to the severe body harm and trauma which thereby caused the hospitalization of the boy.
Public authority should not be used to settle personal scores and where this is done it must attract the severest possible sanction to stop impunity and set an example to other public officers not to do the same especially where such actions disgrace the sanctity and image of the military and country.
This is a total disgrace. It is even more cruel and inhuman that this can be done to a person who it is purported to serve one of the Corporals.
This is not how to find out about a missing item; this is sheer, savagery, inhumanity and callous disregard for humanity. Even known criminals are treated well than what was meted out to the Juvenal who continues in his harrowing experience.
How can these Non-commissioned officers, allow a situation where an individual is subjected to such humiliation because of personal differences which then spill to affect the profession’s image. The Corporals finds themselves in a quandary on how to assuage impart of their actions?
The fact that the Corporals suspect theft does not justify the manner the boy was treated. There is no license in public office for settling of scores and justice in a manner that impacts negatively on the military’s image.
It does not matter if the boy stole the phone, or if indeed their suspicion was justified it does grant them the license or take it upon themselves to deny the boy proper investigating and sanctioning if proven to have committed the offense, the situation could have been better handled, and need not have come to the attention of media as is the case now.
This is a domestic matter that should have been resolved with the family, failure of which the Corporals should have used all possible legal means to retrieve from the boy and his family the controversial phone rather than subject the boy and his family through the harrowing occurrence.
Ordinarily in such situation the purported theft should have been reported to Military Police at the Garrison or Unit; for the purposes of saving them from such humiliation and yet at of their own volition decide to subject a Juvenal to this indignity.
This is utterly reprehensible and goes to show that some officers/ORs in service have no clue about professional etiquette, let alone human relations.
There are enough punitive measures in the Military to take care of or assuage the recurring of such infraction or violation.
It should be noted that a person subject to service law commits an offense - if he does an act which is cruel or indecent and his doing so is disgraceful – constitute a disgraceful conduct of a cruel or indecent kind. Such persons are falls offensive to service Code of Conduct and should dealt with accordingly.
There is a disquiet that needs attention spring out from the media. There is the need for the Media to be professional when reporting issues that has negative statement with regards to the Security Institutions. Words like military, police, or BNI brutalities do no one any good. Most often the establishment is bastardized making everyone of the institution an evil person. The qualities of persons found within the security outfit are far better in ethics than found in the civil.
Much horrendous incidents and events involving other segments of society begs the situation, even among the media fraternity; therefore harping infractions or violations to portray security institution as inhuman need their attention. It hurts when a faceless security chap is caught in a bad situation the whole institution is drawn into the fracas. We all need to act responsibly. The bad-mouthing doesn’t help anyone.
To my former colleagues the public is watching to see what action will be taken over this despicable, irrational and totally unacceptable conduct by the Corporals.
WO1 Nana Akwah
RSM Med Mor Regt 1992-97
nakwah2001@yahoo.com
