Articles - News

   Fellow citizens of Saint Lucia at home and overseas, it gives me no joy whatsoever to have to address you on the crippling crime situation in our country. The current Government came to office promising to take a tough stance against crime, and in particular, to bring the murder rate down. However, we are witnessing a new record with some forty six (46) murders for the year so far. This represents a stunning rebuke of Prime Minister Stephenson King’s rhetoric on crime, and a recognition that the Government’s crime fighting strategy has failed.

It is worthy of note, that under the watch of Prime Minister Stephenson King some of the most gruesome criminal activities have taken place in our country. This includes the shooting and attempted murder of a Magistrate, the killing of two (2) Police Officers, the multiple execution style murders in Vanard, the bloody gangland multiple murders of Anse La Raye and the latest senseless murder of Castries businesswoman, Mrs Vanita Murpuri affectionately known as Mama. Mama’s brutal and premature death is a sad commentary on the state of crime in our country. The Government, therefore, cannot afford to ignore the deep social issues associated with crime.

Prime Minister King and his Cabinet seem to believe that they are the sole repositories of wisdom on fighting crime. Time and time again, the Government has rejected calls from the Opposition for a joint Parliamentary approach to dealing with the crime issue. I have myself on occasion stood as a lone voice urging the Government to have a full Parliamentary session on crime, only to be greeted by a wall of silence from the Prime Minister and his colleagues. I continue to believe that fighting crime is not a partisan issue and needs to be a collaborative approach that engages all sectors of our society Obviously, the Stephenson King administration does not believe this, yet has absolutely no response to crime, unlike the Saint Lucia Labour Party which has a plan that was being implemented while in office and which will be fine tuned before it returns to the seat of government. Additionally, there seem a disturbing closeness between prominent members of the criminal underworld and certain members of the UWP government … a situation which may very well be providing these elements with a sense of protection from the ruling party and which helps to embolden them.

Today the Government’s irresponsibility has caught up with them and regrettably it is the Saint Lucian people who are paying the price. Hundreds of families have lost loved ones, many of whom were breadwinners or potential breadwinners. Those left behind are now left to struggle even more to make ends meet, but our Government has shown no genuine concern for the cries of the people. Some citizens are now locked up in their homes afraid to go out while others are fearful of working night and walking the streets late. That state of fear is a direct consequence of our Government’s failure to act appropriately, properly and decisively to arrest the growing crime rate.

So there is no point in the Prime Minister talking tough for public relations purposes but doing nothing to stop illegality by his Cabinet and Party colleagues. Saint Lucians have heard the Prime Minister make tough pronouncements on how he intends handling crime and other illegalities before. Example is the greatest teacher especially from our leaders; but if our Governmental leaders are poor examples, then, our children will value and learn the wrong things. Our young people must see and discern congruence between what is said and what is practiced by our leaders. The Prime Minister has not been tough on, or taken action against, any of his colleagues who have been chastised for illegality or found wanting by the courts, Therefore, the criminal elements in our country do not take him seriously. Prime Minister King should stop playing to the cameras and get real. Prime Minister King needs to set the example by taking the appropriate action against those in his Government who have broken the laws of the country.

The time for action is overdue. The prime minister must respond to the crime situation with the utmost urgency, not in words only but being decisive in his actions. We must hold him to his words. We cannot continue to talk tough. It is time for action!

This Government has not approached the crime problem in any logical, rational, structured, systematic or strategic way. All we get are knee-jerk reactions when the levels of violence and murder increase. That is not how you fight crime or any societal problem. Where is the vision? Where is the strategy? Where is the plan? Where are the resources? Where is the commitment? Where is the LEADERSHIP?

There is no vision in peace and love football which ends up in war! There is no strategy in high level government officials meeting with gang leaders at the SSU headquarters, and not coming out with a plan to end the war between rival gangs in our country. There is no plan in firing a Police Commissioner only to put his deputies in charge without providing the requisite resources and enabling systems. Adequate resources have not been allocated in fighting the root causes of crime! Where is the commitment to fighting crime by this Government when the Cabinet Task Force on Crime has never reported to the Saint Lucian people on its plans and successes to date? Where is the leadership in the fight against crime when our Prime Minister, faced with a murder in his own constituency office, can tell the world, so vociferously “NO ONE IS SAFE IN SAINT LUCIA.”

Finally, in speaking about this reckless abandonment of government’s obligation to demonstrate that it is pursuing the criminals, the Prime Minister cannot escape blame for the continuing incompetence of Minister of National Security in coming to grips with his portfolio. For it is, indeed, the height of recklessness for Mr King to allow Minister Mayers, a nominated and not elected member of Parliament, to spend most of his time campaigning in the constituency of Castries East, begging the citizens for their vote.



If Mr Mayers wishes to proceed on his election campaign, the Prime Minister has a duty to us, the citizens, to relieve him of his functions as Minister responsible for dealing with crime, the issue of greatest concern to Saint Lucians , and give the job to someone who can do the work.

There is grave concern in and out of Saint Lucia about the crime situation and everyone, from entrepreneurs to representatives of external agencies and governments, is hoping for a solution. The Labour Party is preparing to be part of that solution. Saint Lucians have lost confidence in the Stephenson King Government which has demonstrated serious double standards and a glaring lack of leadership on the issue of crime. We all must be gravely concerned at the unprecedented manner in which Saint Lucia’s international reputation for law enforcement in accordance with standard international practices is being damaged.

If the Government is serious about fighting the crime menace, it needs to abandon the cosmetics and go to the heart of the problem. The so called Cabinet Task Force which serves no useful purpose must be immediately replaced by a bipartisan Select Committee of Parliament on Crime. The Saint Lucia Labour Party is willing to make members available to serve on the Select Committee. However, that Committee must have the necessary powers to subpoena information and make binding recommendations to the Government.

The Government must also show its commitment to crime fighting by releasing to the public the Report on the Prison break out in August 2010. If the people are to be partners in fighting crime, they need to know why failures in the national security system occurred and what has been done to correct those failures. They also need to trust law enforcement personnel and this would require the purging of our security forces of political plants and corrupt officers. We are aware and concerned that since the changes in the leadership of the Police Force some months ago, the intelligence arm of the Police force has been compromised and certain co-operative foreign governments have lost confidence in our Government’s commitment to fight cross-border crime like drugs and money laundering.

The record number of murders, most of them gun related, is symptomatic of the prevalence of illegal firearms on our streets. Yet firearms surrender was not included in previous initiatives such as the Peace and Love initiative which was aimed at reducing violence and murder. We need a serious gun amnesty and a cash for guns programme similar to the ones initiated during the tenure of the Labour administration and which were very successful in reducing the number of illegal firearms in the country. This Government has not shown much commitment on fighting the crime scourge. Getting guns off the streets is one of the measures in successfully reducing the crime rate in this country. And this Government has done nothing substantial in reducing the flow of guns on our streets.

There must be a plan for real social transformation and ensuring equitable social justice particularly for people living in deprived communities. The present government has done virtually nothing about low cost housing, as for example, the people of Conway, promised so much and receiving so little, have been constantly complaining. Employment creation, as distinct from projects given on a political basis must be high on the agenda. Community organisation and development must be a priority. And education and sustainable livelihoods have to be the political imperative. We cannot be giving generous concessions to the few who are already well endowed, while there is no money for basic health, education and recreation for majority of Saint Lucians. Concessions must be linked to employment, economic contribution or social development.

Our Government also needs to open its eyes and study what is happening in other countries which have a similar problem. There is research on crime available, there are best practices that have been employed in other jurisdictions, but why hasn’t our Government sought to learn from those experiences? In Trinidad for example, new gang legislation has been introduced. Is our Attorney General aware of this or is he, another minister, too busy trying to campaign in Castries South? We will never get any respite from crime as long as our Government remains closed and privatised. We will not get the desired results in the fight against crime when critical portfolios – National Security, Justice and Attorney General – are in the hands of persons who are more interested in campaigning for votes than working to resolve some of the pressing issues that undermine the social and economic well being of our country. Those critical portfolios are being used to provide funding for UWP endorsed candidates with no regard for the need to bring effective and competent management to the leadership.

The failure of this administration to continue the twice yearly recruiting of Police Officers has resulted in a grossly under-staffed Police Force. This needs to be reinstated immediately, so that the capacity of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force can increase dramatically in the shortest possible time.

Additional resources in terms of equipment and basic policing tools and supplies must be provided with urgency. However, much more fundamentally, there needs to be a major overhaul of the management systems of the Police Force to ensure that a top quality security service is delivered to every Saint Lucian citizen on a 24-hour basis. Lack of staff, equipment or transportation cannot continue to be an issue if we are serious about fighting crime.

The Stephenson King Government has failed to deliver on its mandate on crime and the people of Saint Lucia are annoyed and disappointed. They have lost all hope in the empty talk and promises of this Government and the Saint Lucia Labour Party is ready to continue its fight against crime.



Consequently, early in the New Year, our Party will be convening an internal retreat to review our crime fighting policies to be followed by a National Symposium on Crime. At that National symposium we will invite experts and ordinary citizens alike to come in and share their ideas and experiences with us, on how to address the crime problem in a holistic manner. The recommendations of the Symposium, along with the measures that we have announced previously and in this address, will form part of a national consensus on crime going forward.

Therefore, I should like to reiterate that a Saint Lucia Labour Party and Government will:

● convene a National Symposium on Crime;

● Seek a bi-partisan approach to fighting crime by encouraging or appointing a Select Parliamentary Committee on Crime;

● Institute incentives for the surrender of illegal firearms and a gun amnesty with the aim of reducing the number of guns on our streets;

● ensure that the enabling management systems of the Royal Saint Lucia police Force are in place, the requisite resources are provided and the intelligence gathering capacity of the Force is not compromised;

● demand of Government leaders that they set the example by upholding the laws of the land;

● Make use of knowledge on best practices in crime fighting;

● work to alleviate some of the social and economic conditions – for example providing low cost housing that will alleviate the growing crime problem; and

● provide leadership that does not condone illegality and law breaking within its ranks.

Fellow citizens, we in the Saint Lucia Labour Party appreciate your concerns about the crime situation in our country. The Saint Lucia Labour Party understands your pain and despair at the gross incompetence of the Stephenson King Government in dealing with crime. We assure you that we have the vision – a vision that was unfolding before the elections of 2006 – a plan, the strategy, the commitment and the Leadership to tackle the problem of crime from its core. We are determined to tackle this problem with the fullness of our national energy, intellect and experience. You have heard, this evening, about some of the ways in which we, as a Government intend to proceed. And we are confident that change will come when the Stephenson King Government is removed and replaced by one which understands that you must build upon a solid foundation like the one laid by the previous Labour administration.

Let me call on all Saint Lucians at home and overseas to come together to fight the crime menace that seeks to destroy our country. This country belongs to all of us. Therefore, we need to make our contribution in fighting all the ills that affect us as a people and nation.

I pray that Almighty God will give us the will to unite in our fight in reducing the high level of crime that presently engulfs us.

   Farther Mitchel Francis was one of the many who are devastated by Vanita Mirpuri’s violent death on Friday, December 17. As he delivered his sermon at her Thanksgiving ceremony, the priest reflected fondly on his memories of the woman all had come to embrace as ‘Mama.’
He came to know Mama as the proprietor of Sale Mart. She came to the Cathedral to pray often, although she was a devout Hindu. Father Mitchel recalled seeing the family pass about 6:45am to go to their store and leave after 7pm. Mama was a people’s person, willing to help where ever she could, whether it was with youth work or giving a customer a ‘discount’ when that customer could not meet the full price of an item. The Cathedral parish was very close to Mama, having been loyal customers for years. She was a woman devoted to her work, her family and her spirit.
Father Mitchel expressed outrage at her passing.

“When you have persons who work so hard, we have the right to feel revolted when people can come and believe that they have a right to their sweat. We have a right to be revolted. This is called legitimate anger. I think your [the congregation’s] presence here is not only to support the family, but to express our anger at young men, particularly those who feel that they have a right to live off other persons sweat,” exclaimed the parish priest over thunderous applause.

He went on to tell of the funeral he oversaw last Thursday, December 16, for Javis Jn Baptiste aka Coco of Leslie Land, Castries. The 29-year-old was gunned down on December 5 around 8am near the CDC on Jeremie Street. Father Mitchel said he sympathized with the family but admitted he was angry at the life Jn Baptiste had chosen. During his sermon at that funeral, two men made their grand entrance into the Cathedral. As the priest tells it, one was from the CDC area gang and the other from the Grass Street gang. Mitchel steadfastly appealed to them to turn from the paths they had chosen.

Mitchel addressed the men, “When is this going to end? I told them that I’m almost certain they were carrying [illegal] guns in the church…at the service! I told them you know why, because you all are cowardice. Because you all are afraid. Put your house straight. We are not afraid. We are not afraid of people like you who take our cell phones and our jewelry and break into our homes. We aren’t afraid of you, but you all are afraid of your own minds, and each other.”

He continued his sermon on that Thursday by addressing the grieving parents. Mitchel revealed, “I said yes my heart goes out to you today but where were you before? Were you checking on your son to find out in whose company he was in? Where he was going? Did it not concern you how late he stayed out? Were you checking on him?”

Stressing the importance of togetherness, the priest pronounced the situation of criminality or violence in the country, or anywhere for that matter, is not the responsibility of government. It is a problem for the community. Referring to Jn Baptiste’s murder, Mitchel revealed a parishioner witnessed the entire incident but refused to go to the authorities because the witness fears for his family’s safety.

Said Mitchel: “You see the fear that is within us because of reprisal? We are afraid that our families will pay the price. So even though we see, we come to the House of the Lord and say nothing. There must be some way where we can get protection for these witnesses so that we can step out and put those criminals behind bars. Because if I witness any crime, I will talk and I will be a witness. I have a family as well but I will do what is right.”
The priest expressed his confidence in the police force but says if the rumours are true that confidential information is leaked by the police to criminals then one thing is certain, “If the law cannot grant justice, then the Lord will.”

Speaking more earnestly, Father Mitchel ended his sermon on this note, “We must work hard at trying to eradicate crime. We may not be able to get rid of it all together, but we must try, together. It is the only way we can survive. Our social lives are changed. There are many people who do not want
to go out because they are afraid. We ought not to allow our criminals to imprison us. We cannot allow it.”

   The National Security Minister Guy Mayers recently disputed the opposition Saint Lucia Labour Party’s claims that the government and the police were ill equipped to handle local crime, in particular, violent crime. Nevertheless, last Friday a 34-year-old man was killed after he was struck in the head with an axe by another man at Gros Islet. The incident occurred just five days after the prime minister had sought to reassure citizens.

This week, the STAR was reliably informed that the son of a well-known city businessman was kidnapped. So far, the police remain tight lipped about the circumstances, neither confirming nor denying the shocking story.

Following a bloody December 3 –5 weekend, which left two persons dead and four others injured from bullet wounds, local law enforcement agencies were again talking tough. But there seemed little comfort for citizens, judging by calls to the talk shows and online comments. The general attitude, “we have heard it all before.” It does not help that the homicide figure now stands at around 44 for the year and that most remain unresolved. The majority of homicides in the last decade are cases gone cold.

Back in May, when the homicide figure was twenty one, the police, Prime Minister Stevenson King and Home Affairs Minister Guy Mayers declared an all-out war on crime and a greater police presence in well-known hot spots. Prior to that, then commissioner of police Ausbert Regis had told a news conference that the police was not fully equipped to deal with the “new kind” of criminal activity the country was experiencing. Following another bloody weekend back then when six people were shot, four fatally, the homicide figure stood at twenty-one.

The prime minister of Saint Lucia then took to the airwaves to promise the nation he would not allow “a few rotten apples” to contaminate St Lucia. “Every homicide, every single criminal act, wherever it might occur in St Lucia,” he said, “is like another nail in our nation’s coffin. We will not be buried alive. The rotten apples will be removed in the best interests of those not yet contaminated.”

He went on to acknowledge that some of the challenges facing the country were beyond local control. It was then that the announcement came that then Commissioner of Police Ausbert Regis would be transferred to the position of Director of Special Initiatives within the Office of the Prime Minister, while Vernon Francois, the Assistant Commissioner was appointed to act in the position of Commissioner of Police.

Last week at a ceremony to commission two more speed boats to the police, Mr King declared “enough was enough.” He said the police had been given the mandate to attack crime “by any means the law will permit.” At that ceremony Francois referred to the criminals as “cowards” and promised the police were prepared to deal with the serious crime prevalent in the country. However during his recent appearance on TALK last Thursday the police chief admitted that one of the problems with policing here centered on manpower. The RSLPF, he says, now stands at 1000 strong, for a population of 160,000. “Ideally I would be more satisfied with one cop for every five persons but under the circumstances we need to work with what we have,” Francois told the show’s host Rick Wayne. “Working with what you have means being more creative. You have to try to make things work,” he added.

It appears that the criminals have also recognized the need for more creativity judging by the increased activity, most of it undetected by the police. The island has experienced a shocking level of criminal activity—including a prison break back in August. In October the charred cadavers of a young couple were found in the trunk of a vehicle in Vieux Fort. The families are still waiting for the results of forensics tests to establish the victims’ identities.

And now we must deal with the new crime of kidnapping. The police, we were told, were able to track down one of the alleged kidnappers. Reports indicate officers followed the man who’d been traveling on a motorcycle and ran into him with their vehicle to get him to stop. He is presently admitted at hospital where he is under police watch. The business man’s son was found unharmed.

Another problem for the police: Most of the serious cases, the majority involving violence, have been dismissed for lack of witnesses.

   The act of being violated is torturous enough but to have the incident brought to the fore time and again is tantamount to reliving the experience. For one alleged victim, the saga is still ongoing.

In last Saturday’s STAR, the Director of Public Prosecutions Victoria Charles-Clarke and Acting Police Commissioner Vernon Francois were facing off over a case involving several police officers.

According to the 22-year-old alleged victim, mother of a young child: on Sunday August 15 she was at her boyfriend’s home at Maynard Hill in the wee hours of the morning. She had just returned from a party. An argument ensued and she ended up breaking one of her boyfriend’s windows, at which point a neighbour called the police. The alleged victim estimated the police arrived around 6am. The young woman was taken away by an officer known to her. She told the STAR she thought she was being taken to Central Police Station but discovered otherwise. When she complained she was told she was going to be taken to the Gros Islet station. Instead she was transferred to a waiting vehicle at Choc. She claims she was then taken to a remote location by four men then beaten and raped.

Francois informed the STAR a swift investigation was carried out and the file was initially sent to the DPP’s Office in September. In the September 15 STAR, Francois revealed the file was back in police hands because the DPP had requested additional information. Reliable sources indicate the additional information had to do with the identification of the alleged perpetrators. In the December 1 STAR, the Acting Commissioner said: “It [the investigation] was done quickly and efficiently and was submitted to the DPP. She had her concerns. Within a week we addressed them all. Police officers are still out there wondering what might happen. It undermines their confidence. It undermines the public confidence in the police. That is a case that by now should have been resolved.”

When the STAR contacted the DPP, she was completely taken aback by the Acting Commissioner’s statements. “That is erroneous,” she said. “I cannot believe Vernon Francois would say something like that. I still have not seen any response from the police in this matter.”
Who has the file? The fact remains, the case cannot progress until the DPP makes her recommendations.
The STAR spoke to the complainant in the matter. She was flabbergasted at the handling of her case. “Up to now I have not received a call from anyone as to the status of my case,” she said.

Addressing the issue of the unaccounted file, she exhaled exasperatedly, “Oh my God! I have been waiting and waiting and I have heard nothing. I cannot believe this. No one has contacted me regarding my case. The last I heard about my case was when I was interviewed by the police on the second occasion. I was told the file had to be sent to the DPP before any arrests could be made. I’ve been waiting and waiting and nothing!”

   The nation was shocked to its core last year when word surfaced that a young female accountant had to be hospitalized following a battering at the hands of her then boyfriend. Equally shocking was that the alleged batterer is a prominent citizen who held a leading position with one of St Lucia’s political parties. As if that were not bad enough, his victim claimed while she was in hospital that an MP tried to persuade her not to file charges against her batterer.

It turned out the then twenty-three year old woman, Leona Edward, was paralyzed from the waist down as a result of her experience and had to be transferred to Martinique for medical attention not available in St Lucia.

It appeared ‘the system’ was determined to put every impediment in her way. The young woman was legally advised that her case could not go forward without certain particulars associated with her stay in Martinique. But while she experienced many obstacles acquiring the requested documents, she soon discovered St Lucia’s Chief Medical Officer had had no such difficulty. Worse, her private medical records eventually found their way into the hands of certain media representatives.

Through all of this, the public has clamored for a resolution to the problem. Many were of the view that because of his status in society the case would never come to court. Such speculation proved wrong. The STAR has learned this particular case has not been stymied.

The defendant was recently indicted but is yet to receive notification. The Crown reported to the Criminal High Court it has made attempts to serve the defendant but to no avail. When the case was called on December 14, Justice Kenneth Benjamin ordered a bench warrant for the defendant’s arrest but a bench warrant cannot be executed until a defendant has been served with the indictment. The STAR attempted to reach the defendant’s attorney Senior Counsel Marcus Foster for his comments on the matter but without success.

The man is expected to be arraigned during the January 2011 Assizes when he’ll be required to plead to the charge of maim before the case can advance any further. If he pleads not guilty, a date for trial will be set.

The case stems, as the complainant tells it, from an argument over a text message. It had been eighteen months she was involved with the defendant when on Tuesday February 3, 2009 she was brutally attacked. The woman resided with the defendant at an apartment complex in Tapion. It is alleged that she received a text message from male friend. According to the complainant, this was trigger. Her boyfriend savagely beat her. She told local press the point she remembered not feeling her legs was when her attacker was on top of her, pummeling her lower back.

The man is charged with one count of assault and battery to maim. He was granted EC$3000 bail and bail conditions stipulated he had to surrender his passport.