Violence at Melrose Prison: Senior Officers Under Investigation by the MCIT

The investigation into the incidents at the Eastern High Security Prison in Melrose on July 17 is now in the hands of the Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT). A report from the Fact Finding Committee, published on October 3, highlighted cases of brutality within the prison, implicating prison guards and members of the GIPM. It reveals significant mismanagement at the prison. Senior officers are now under scrutiny from the MCIT, which has been assigned to handle the case.

The investigators possess damning video footage as they work to uncover the truth and determine accountability. As of now, three prison guards, including two senior officers (an ACP and an ASP), have been suspended in connection with this matter. Criminal charges are not being ruled out as the investigation progresses, according to insider sources. Seventeen inmates, including high-profile detainees involved in drug cases, have filed reports of assaults and torture with the police.

This week, MCIT investigators reviewed the official prison logs from Thursday, July 17. During a raid on Wednesday, several CCTV recordings were retrieved by the MCIT. Initial viewing has commenced, revealing incriminating evidence against the guards and intervention team, as per sources close to the investigation.

Currently, the police are analyzing footage from approximately a hundred surveillance cameras. This investigation concerns potential acts of torture and assault by those in charge of these actions.

The primary goal of the MCIT investigators is to clarify the origins of the orders that led to forceful interventions at Melrose Prison on July 17. Based on the footage reviewed so far, investigators have not been able to determine if there was a sufficiently tense situation to justify the intervention of GIPM commandos.

The MCIT has also seized the prison's "Diary Books." All data entries made on July 17 related to the incidents will be meticulously examined. Investigators aim to understand the reasons that prompted the guards to resort to force to control inmates that day. Additionally, the protocols for calling in GIPM teams are being scrutinized to ascertain if such an intervention was genuinely necessary.

In its report, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) mentioned a disproportionate use of force and a lack of protocols aimed at de-escalating the situation before the assault. According to NHRC findings, compliant inmates were nonetheless assaulted, trampled, and forced to undress and lie face down on the ground. This practice is deemed humiliating and degrading. The Commission considers these actions a blatant violation of Article 7 of the Mauritian Constitution, which prohibits inhumane or degrading treatment, as well as a breach of international human rights standards.