Robben Island to Wall Street

38

Chapter 3

$QG LI DQ\ERG\ ZDV VXVSHFWHG RI FRRSHUDWLQJ ZLWK WKH JRYHUQPHQW RI WKH GD\ ZKHWKHU LW ZDV WUXH RU QRW ZDV LPPDWHULDO DQJU\ FURZGV FKDUJHG LQ RIWHQ ZLWK WUDJLF UHVXOWV 2QH VXFK VDG LQVWDQFH WKDW LV PRVW PHPRUDEOH WR PH LQ LWV KRUURU ZDV ZKHQ D ZRPDQ VXVSHFWHG RI EHLQJ D SROLFH LQIRUPHU ZDV necklaced MXVW RXWVLGH -RKDQQHVEXUJ . &DPHUDV KDG FDSWXUHG KHU SURORQJHG WRUWXUH DQG PRUELG GHDWK XQGHU D EXUQLQJ tyre around her neck. ,Q WKH HQG ZH GHFLGHG WR FRPPLW RXUVHOYHV WR UHPDLQLQJ LQ 6RXWK $IULFD DQG ¿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he children endured long and hard days. After the abduction referred to earlier, RXU FKLOGUHQ IRXQG LW GL൶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൶FHV :LWK WKH ULVH RI SROLWLFDO WHQVLRQV URVH WKH QHJDWLYH HVFDODWLRQ RI WKH SROLFH SUHVHQFH 7KH\ FRQWLQXDOO\ KDUDVVHG DQ\ EODFN SHUVRQ WR XQFRPIRUWDEOH OHYHOV 7KH KDUDVVPHQW ZDV IRUPDOO\ HQIRUFHG ZKHQ D SDUWLDO VWDWH RI HPHUJHQF\ ZDV GHFODUHG LQ -XO\ 7KH PHDVXUHV ZHUH DFFRPSDQLHG E\ WKH SRZHU WR GHWDLQ DQ\ VXVSLFLRXV SHUVRQ 7KHVH SRZHUV ZHUH H[WHQGHG WR HYHU\ PHPEHU RI WKH SROLFH