Shanique Myrie receives payment
Published:Tuesday | June 24, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Sheldon Williams, Staff Reporter
Shanique Myrie has received the long-awaited payment of US$38,000 (approximately J$4 million) owed to her in damages from the Barbados government. The payment was made yesterday.
"I'm relieved and I'm glad that Barbados has paid it over. My lawyer told me this morning (yesterday)," Myrie expressed.
Myrie said she believes her victory can be a catalyst for change.
"If I did it, anybody else can do it. I was just a normal, innocent young lady going to Barbados with no bad intention whatsoever and they took advantage of me and I stood up and talked for my right and I won, so anybody can do that. It just takes encouragement and effort," she shared.
Myrie was denied entry into Barbados in 2011, and the CCJ, in October last year, awarded her pecuniary damages in the sum of BDS$2,240 (BDS$1 = US$0.50 cents) and non-pecuniary damages to the tune of BDS$75,000.
Myrie had alleged that when she travelled to Barbados on March 14, 2011, she was discriminated against because of her nationality, subjected to a body cavity search, detained overnight in a cell, and deported to Jamaica the following day.