September 20, 2007: On Sunday September 16, a major news paper in the Bahamas published a claim from a Jamaican National, that she was the victim of a brutal beating at the hands of immigration officers.  The 45 year old female, Mrs. Donna Whyms, who has been living in the Bahamas for 12 years claimed she was beaten in front of her 10 year old daughter, while officers shouted abuse at her. In recounting one of several episodes, the Jamaican national claimed "The officer pushed me in my head, pulled my wigs off and started pounding me, saying y'all f.....ing Jamaicans, y'all need to get out of our country".
An account of her claim can be found online.

On Wednesday the Ministry of National Security responded to the claims of Abuse by Immigration Officers indicating that the female may have been the aggressor and suggesting that one of the arresting officers showed more signs of being beaten than did the alleged victim.

The full release is printed below:


"Bahamas Information Services

The Ministry of National Security wishes to respond to a front-page article that appeared in the 16 September, 2007 edition of The Tribune under the heading, “Jamaican Woman Claims She Was Beaten By Immigration Officers”.

On Sunday, 16 September, 2007, at about 1:30 a.m., officers attached to Quiet Storm, a joint law-enforcement agency unit, comprised of Police and Immigration Officers, observed Mrs. Donna Whyms, a Jamaican national, walking alone in the Bernard Road area near Success Training College.

Mrs. Whyms was unable to provide proof of her immigration status and was given a ride to her residence where she indicated her permit was located. When she arrived at her residence and eventually produced a work permit, the officers observed a young female child. They enquired whether there were other occupants in the apartment.

Mrs. Whyms became irate and aggressive and ordered the officers out of her apartment. She verbally and physically assaulted a female Police Officer and had to be subdued by the Quiet Storm team.

She was arrested and charged with assault of a police officer, resisting arrest and disorderly behaviour. As a consequence of the officer’s injury, she will also be charged with causing harm. The officers are also in touch with the Department of Social Services in respect of the 10-year-old daughter of Mrs. Whyms who was found alone in the apartment.

Upon arriving at the Station, Mrs. Whyms indicated that she had been beaten by the police. As is customary with these complaints, she and the female officer were both taken to the hospital and examined by a medical officer.

The medical report shows no clear symptoms of Mrs. Whyms’ being beaten. In respect of the female officer, preliminary indications were that she may have suffered a fractured rib even though she was wearing a bullet-proof vest at the time.

The charges against Mrs. Whyms are serious and it is expected that she will be brought before the courts in short order.

The Ministry of National Security wishes to assure the public that all allegations of brutality are thoroughly investigated and should the findings warrant, officers are dealt with according to the law. However, in this case, there are indications that the officers assigned to Operation Quiet Storm acted professionally and within their authority.

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The Ministry also wishes to comment further on a report that appeared in the 27 August, 2007 edition of The Nassau Guardian in which a Jamaican national, Ms. Millicent Brown, alleged that she was coerced by an Immigration Officer into paying $300 in order to facilitate her admittance into The Bahamas on the 10 August, 2007. The Ministry wishes to assure the public that this matter is being investigated thoroughly by the Corruptions Unit of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and a report is due shortly. "