Rastafarian Woman Allegedly Trimmed in Custody

Rastafarian woman allegedly trimmed while in police custody, her family is demanding justice for the treatment she endured.

As Jamaica celebrates emancipation from colonial slavery, a family is demanding fair treatment and justice for the horrors endured by a 19-year-old Rastafarian woman allegedly shaved while in police custody. 

The Clarendon woman was reportedly detained for allegedly not wearing a mask but was later charged for disorderly conduct. In this report, she recounts the unfortunate events after the vehicle she was traveling in was pulled over by law enforcers.

The claim of not wearing a mask quickly escalated to disorderly conduct resulting in 19-year-old Nzinga Candace King being brought before the court on July 22.

According to the teen, she was fined $6,000 or 10 days in jail, however, she misunderstood that she was given the option to pay and handed herself over to the police where she was transferred from the May Pen Court House to the Four Paths Police Station.

This is where King, allegedly had an encounter with police after the teen felt she was being disrespected. She was then told by female police to go to the bathroom. King says apart from feeling dishonoured and dehumanized, she spent days in lock up without showering though she was menstruating.

King’s mother, Shirley Mcintosh, says she did not know a fine could have been paid to release her daughter.

On Emancipation Day Mcintosh told CVM Live she’s calling for justice and fair treatment for members of the Rastafari community. King says though she feels broken, misrepresented and degraded at the hands of the police, this will be her testimony.