Inspector Greg Bursey did apologise, telling CBC:
"I'm sorry she felt that she was mistreated in any way or put through any undue hardship, but certainly there was no intent," Bursey said.The woman was held in a cell stripped of mattress and bedding pending her court appearance and after the woman had reportedly threatened to harm herself. The secure holding room at the hospital in Happy Valley-Goose Bay was occupied and the RCMP constable involved in the case elected to take the woman back to the RCMP cells rather than admit the woman to hospital.
"I'm satisfied that within reason that it shouldn't happen again."
But take a close look at Inspector Bursey's comment. He is sorry the woman felt she was mistreated; he wasn't sorry she was mistreated even though - on the face of it - she was. It is unconscionable that anyone under any circumstances would be detained by police under such conditions for any period of time, let alone 48 hours.
It is irrelevant that the individual involved was a woman. Being held in custody naked is unacceptable, full stop.
Other means could have been used to ensure the woman could not harm herself while under arrest. It may well be that the constable in question did not intend to cause the arrested woman harm or difficulty however, there seems to have been a complete lack of consideration given to the circumstances in which the woman was being detained.
If there was no intent, as Inspector Bursey states, there was certainly an unacceptable consequence that came as a direct result of the Constable's actions or inactions. The constable's apparent indifference, lack of compassion, thought or insensitivity seems as much a cause for concern as it would have been had she taken a baton and beaten the woman unconscious.
The police have considerable powers and once an individual is taken in custody, police have an equally considerable responsibility to provide for the care of the detained individual.
The people of the province are owed a much more substantive explanation than the one offered thus far by the national police service on this matter.
We are also owed a more detailed accounting of what has occurred and what steps have been taken to ensure police officers employ some common sense when on the job. Your humble e-scribbler knows a goodly number of police officers and has always found them to be competent and professional. The actions here seem highly unusual. Nevertheless, the public are owed a full explanation.
Asked about the potential of such an occurrence two years ago, Inspector Bursey might have said that "within reason" it shouldn't happen at all. Clearly, telling us that "within reason" it is not likely to occur again is no comfort at all.
It is little better than a five dollar surplus army blanket tossed to a naked prisoner in a cell.
