Immigration Officer Ordered To Pay Out For Sexual Assault

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – A senior immigration officer has been ordered to personally pay damages to a Jamaican woman whom he sexually assaulted while in his custody.

Claudia Edwards-Bethell filed a civil suit against Immigration officer Norman Bastian, the Attorney General, The Minister of Immigration, Director of Immigration, and The Commissioner of Police after a magistrate dismissed a rape case against him in 2016.

Bethell died on May 25, 2021 before the civil trial was completed. However, her estate continued with the lawsuit.

The plaintiff was arrested on December 13, 2014 after police raided the Twilight Bar, where Bethell worked as a bartender.

Police officers took Bethell to the Central Police Station and the Central Detective Unit, although she showed them a copy of a spousal permit, authorizing her to reside in the country.

Police did not charge Bethell but turned her over to immigration for further inquiries. She was detained at the Carmichael Road Detention Center, pending verification of her spousal permit.

On December 15, 2014, Bethell was released into Bastian’s custody for him to confirm her address.

Bastian collected Bethell with a woman in his car, who turned out to be a friend and not an immigration officer. Bastian eventually dropped his friend off to her car.

He stopped to buy wine before taking Bethell to his home.

There, Bethell ate stewed fish and had a bath. She said Bastian raped her, but Bastian said the sex was consensual. She stayed at Bastian’s home overnight, and, according to her, was raped the following morning, December 16.

Bastian dropped Bethell home later that afternoon.

Senior Justice Indra Charles ruled that the government was not liable for Bastian’s actions because he was on a “frolic of his own.”

As such, the judge ruled that Bastian must personally pay damages for falsify imprisoning Bethell for 22.35 hours and assault and battery.

The amount of those damages will be assessed by the Supreme Court Registrar.