Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs placed on suicide watch ahead of trial
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has reportedly been placed on suicide watch as he awaits trial at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC).
Combs was arrested in New York on federal charges on the evening of September 16th. He was apprehended at Park Hyatt on 57th Street at 8:30pm local time. It followed the raid of multiple properties owned by the rapper and media mogul in Los Angeles and Miami following a series of warrants being issued.
Combs pled not guilty to the charges of racketeering and sex trafficking that were brought against him the following day. If he is found guilty, he could be imprisoned for life.
The indictment alleges that Combs has a history of being abusive, violent and coercive towards several different women. He is accused of orchestrating “freak offs”, multi-day orgies in which women would be coerced into having sex with sex workers, frequently on camera. To recover, they would allegedly be given drugs such as ketamine and IV fluids.
Combs has also been charged with hitting, kicking and dragging women by the hair, along with a number of other violent acts. He denies all accusations.
After making his plea, Combs is being held without bail in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. Due to the severity of the charges and his wealth, the court maintained that he was a flight risk, particularly given that he had previously pressured witnesses into lying, impeding the investigation.
Now, though, it has been exclusively reported by People that Combs has been placed on suicide watch at MDC. He was remanded there on September 17th after pleading not guilty and being denied bail. Sources tell the publication that this preventative measure has been taken due to Combs’ shock, with his mental state unclear.
During a court hearing, it is recorded that Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, asked the judge for his client to be transferred to a prison in Essex County, New Jersey, with the overriding decision going to the Bureau of Prisons.
MDC houses 1,600 inmates and is notorious for being dangerous and understaffed. In their motion for Combs’ bail, his lawyers claimed that “several courts in this District have recognized that the conditions at Metropolitan Detention Center are not fit for pre-trial detention”.
“Just earlier this summer, an inmate was murdered,” they wrote, according to The Daily Beast. “At least four inmates have died by suicide there in the past three years.”
The Manhattan Federal Court are yet to reveal the date of Combs’ trial. The rapper has pled not guilty to all of the charges, and will remain in custody for the foreseeable future.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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