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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dina Paul Parks
212-337-0005, x11
Haitian Coalition Calls on U.S. Attorney's Office to Examine All
Options for
Retrial of Officers in Louima Case
NEW YORK, February 28, 2002 -- The National Coalition for Haitian Rights (NCHR)
is deeply troubled by the decision taken today by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
to overturn the convictions of former New York City police officers Charles Schwarz,
Thomas Wiese and Thomas Bruder. These officers, along with Justin Volpe, whose
conviction was not affected by today's ruling, were convicted for the torture of
Haitian immigrant Abner Louima inside a Brooklyn Police precinct bathroom in August
1997.
NCHR is urging the U.S Attorney Alan Weingard, whose office prosecuted the officers, to
probe the ruling thoroughly to determine if there is sufficient evidence or opportunity
to retry the case. In the event that there is not, his office should explain to the
Haitian community and the public at large how their case unraveled under scrutiny from
the appellate courts. More importantly, the U.S Attorney's office needs to
explain what steps they will take to ensure that cases like the Louima incident
are successfully prosecuted and upheld in the future.
"This ruling re-opens deep wounds in our community," said Ms.
Dina Paul Parks, NCHR Acting Director. "We need some answers, and we need to be reassured that what seems to be a
pattern of the miscarriage of justice - Amadou Diallo, Patrick Dorismond and
Georgy Louisgene among them - will not amount to a wholesale culture of impunity
for the NYPD."
NCHR is also concerned that this decision has the potential of destroying the progress
that has been painstakingly made in dialogues started between the police department and
the community. This decision presents yet another unfortunate opportunity for the new
Bloomberg administration and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly to reach out and explain
what they believe are the long-term implications of this ruling for relations between
the Haitian community and the NYPD.
NCHR is also appealing to the Haitian community to remain calm and allow the justice
system to take its full course.
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