Nassau, BAHAMAS-Police treated a homeless woman like a criminal for failing to comply with coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
The lockdown restricted residents to their homes from 9pm on April 24 until 5am on April 27.
However, officers arrested Carine Ceremy after she told them that she had no home.
Police arrested Ceremy, 37, around 12:45am on August 25 at John Road.
She was standing outside the car that a friend allows her to sleep in.
Ceremy pleaded guilty to violating the lockdown at her arraignment.
She explained to the court that the car owner lives with an aunt.
However, Ceremy said she’s not allowed in the aunt’s home.
Ceremy said the car is small. So, she occasionally comes out of the cramped car to stretch her legs.
According to Ceremy, that’s what she was doing when police arrested her.
Despite Ceremy’s guilty plea, the court did not punish her for failing to comply with the lockdown restrictions.
That’s because the prosecutor used his discretion and withdrew the case.
Nowhere to go
In response to questions posed by the court, Ceremy said that no relatives took her in.
Ceremy claimed she had stayed in a shelter, but they refused to house her beyond 14 days.
The magistrate said he would make inquiries to see if he could find a shelter to accommodate her.
The government has implemented curfew and lockdowns in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Police have prosecuted more than 500 offenders since the restrictions came into effect on March 20.
Violators face fines up to $10,000 and prison sentences up to 18 months. But some of those imprisoned have been homeless.
In Grand Bahama, Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbye Ferguson sentenced a homeless man, Carl Johnson, to one year in prison for breaking the curfew. Two other homeless men were fined for failing to remain at home.
Adam Outten was fined $500 or three months in prison. James Toussaint was fined $1,000 or three months in prison.
