begged the Governor for clemency for her distraught daughter.

The woman, speaking from her London home, said that while she had nothing against Bermuda or Bermudians, her daughter needed to be with family in the wake of the alleged jail-house rape in January.

She has telephoned her daughter twice a day since the incident and is spending up to 15 a day in phone calls.

She calls her daughter twice a day from her Hackney home to try and console the 19-year-old. The young woman is serving a six-year sentence for importing $66,000 of heroin on a flight from London.

While her mother has spoken to her lawyer and has been reassured about the progress of the case, she is anxious to have her daughter by her side.

"She has learned her lesson big time,'' the woman said. "She can't learn a harder lesson. She has to come home now.'' She added: "Everybody suffers from this. I have nothing against the people of Bermuda. I don't want people of Bermuda thinking I'm against them.'' Police arrested two prison officers and took them in for questioning last week.

"I just want to know what is taking so long,'' the mother of three said.

"She needs to be with her family not in some holding house. This is taking too long. I'm worried about her mental welfare.'' She said her daughter had worked toward gaining parole in November by taking courses since her imprisonment. "She has learned her lesson big time,'' the mother said. "She can't learn a harder lesson. She should be home so she can get therapy. She won't go down this road again.'' She continued: "My daughter was getting on quite well. She accepted her fate until two guys abused and assaulted her. My heart goes out to the accused men's wives and children. Those men have messed up everyone's lives.'' The woman asked Governor Thorold Masefield to "sort this situation out''.

Almost on the verge of tears, the woman said: "Here I am all the way over here and they violated my baby. I plead to the Governor for clemency.''