AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - The tragic situation in Madagascar prisons. Trinitarian Father Angelo Buccarello former prison chaplain in Antananarivo

Tuesday, 7 June 2005

Rome (Fides Service)-“This is a story which is not new and which keeps on repeating itself” said Trinitarian Father Angelo Buccarello former prison chaplain in Antananarivo capital of Madagascar, with regard to worsening conditions in penitentiaries on this large African island.
According to France Press at Antanimora Prison in the centre of the capital there are only 850 beds for about 3,000 prisoners watched by 112 prison guards. The prisoners are cramped in crowded cells without sanitation.
“The local Catholic Church took the situation in prisons in Madagascar to heart some time ago ” said Fr Buccarello. “In 2000 on the occasion of the Great Jubilee year thanks to pressure from the local Catholic Church about 3,000 prisoners were released” said the former chaplain of Antananarivo prison. “Most of the people in prison are charged with only minor offences and many are still awaiting trial. These offenders are mainly verypoor people who turn to petty theft and other minor crimes in order to survive”.
“Locally the Church has been working to increase awareness among the people of the unbearable conditions in prison. There are special groups of Catholics who collect food and other necessities and take them to the prisoners. These groups are formed of missionaries, religious and local priests as well as lay people” Fr Buccarello told Fides. “However these are only local initiatives and they need to be coordinated at national level. Moreover pressure should be exerted on political leaders to guarantee better conditions in prison. Madagascar spends 1 centime of an Euro a day per prisoner” the missionary said.
“If the situation in Antanimora prison at Antananarivo is dramatic you can imagine the conditions in prisons in the rest of the country where information is also scarcer” Fr. Buccarello concluded.
According to the present chaplain of prisons in the province of Antananarivo, Fr. Eustache Jérôme Rakotozafy “the situation is dramatic from every point of view, but particularly regarding food. Since 2001 when the European Union blocked donations of rice to Madagascar which allowed us to feed prisoners 5 days out of 7, we are no longer able to guarantee detainees enough food. In many of our prisons inmates are in danger of starving to death”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 7/6/2005 righe 34 parole 391)


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