Probe into St Michael’s home: Cops interview abused teenager

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Guardian

Monday, July 28, 2014

Anna Lisa Paul

Hours before he met with investigators probing the allegations of sexual and physical abuse at the St Michael’s School for Boys, Diego Martin, the abused teenager who confirmed the wrongdoing by staff members said he was now “in a better place” after having gone public with his story. The teenager, 19, who lives in Port-of-Spain, made the statement as he waited to meet with police last Friday. The teenager was met at the Guardian Media Ltd office by three officers from the Western Division.

He and his boss were later taken to an undisclosed in Port-of-Spain for the interview, which lasted close to three hours. In a phone interview yesterday, the teenager confirmed that he had given police a sworn statement and was ready and willing to meet with police again any time. Asked yesterday if he was having second thoughts about revealing the abuse he suffered during his year at the school, or about meeting with police, the teenager replied, “No, I’m good.”

Investigators were eager to meet with him, as he is the first person thus far to come forward and testify about the kind and level of abuse he suffered while at the school. The investigation was launched after Attorney General Anand Ramlogan revealed the findings of a committee appointed to probe the death of Brandon Hargreaves. Hargreaves, 14, of Cascade, died on April 8, after he suffered a head injury. Initial reports said he was injured while trying to drop-kick another child.

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