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Heavily bandaged Voice sports journalist Anthony Debeauville following his terrifying ordeal at the George Odlum Stadium.
During his address at Sunday’s official opening of the 2010 CBN WINLOT Inter schools Games at the George Odlum Stadium (GOS) in Vieux Fort, Minister of Sports, Lenard Montoute, referred to it as more than just a sports and fitness facility, but a temporary health facility accommodating patients following the fire at St Jude Hospital last year.
Quite aware that this unique situation has disrupted sporting events held there, Montoute focused on the positives. He said: “Though we do not expect any unfortunate incidents but should this occur, God for forbid, you have top medical facilities available to you right on hand.”
While Montoute’s comments were directed towards athletes competing there, he never imagined it would have any bearing on sports journalists who were out in full force that day. While several sports journalists were opposed to the GOS being used as a temporary medical facility, they may now have a change of heart, given the fact that a colleague required swift medical attention after being assaulted by another in the same profession.
Voice Sports Reporter, Anthony Debeauville, sustained a gash on the top of his forehead and has a fractured right ear drum, after being struck more than once by his attacker who is well known media sports journalist and maintains a website covering sports associated with the Ministry of Social Transformation Youth and Sports and other local and regional events.
During the incident which occurred a short distance away from the track, the individual in question had to be restrained against the wall by an official with the Department of Youth & Sports.
Debeauville who replaced his assailant after he was let go from the Voice, recalled Sunday’s horrific incident in a front page headline in Tuesday’s Voice ‘Bloody Sunday at Stadium.’
The incident occurred at about 2:55pm just before a group of sports journalists which included Debeauville, the man accused of assaulting him, yours truly (Star Publishing), Reginald Andrew (Mirror Newspaper) and Brian McDonald (Radio St Lucia) who travelled to the GOS in the same vehicle, were about to return to Castries.
Needless to say, the driver was one short on the return trip. His passenger involved in the incident was asked to leave the GOS.
Giving his account of what happened, Debeauville who bled profusely during the vicious attack, insisted it was unprovoked and not called for. He mentioned that a difference of opinion after a St Lucian beat a Grenadian in a 100 metre race that afternoon precipitated the incident.
Meanwhile the man who is accused in the incident has been reprimanded and dismissed from any further duties with the Ministry of Social Transformation, Youth and Sports. An email bearing his name states: “It is with deep regret that I herby inform you that the Ministry of Social Transformation, Youth and Sports wishes to terminate any ties we have with you and sports caribe with immediate effect.Your actions at the George Odlum Stadium on Sunday July 25 2010 during the 2010 Windward Islands Official Opening ceremony and Athletics Championship, cannot be condoned and necessitates the termination of your services and collaborations in all forms with and to us.”
The email goes on to list six requirements: “You are not welcome at any youth and sporting activity under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Transformation, Youth and Sports.
Debeauville made a report to the Vieux Fort Police after a 45-minute operation and plans to file criminal charges. The STAR has learnt that the alleged attacker surrendered to police yesterday and is being questioned.
RSS
we really need anger management courses taught in our infant schools……..we are so violent…….we can hardly have an event without a fight….my goodness…….i have travelled all over the world and i must admit…..haitians…jamaicans and stlucians are some of the most violent people in the world………..
then your world must be really small if you find ST.Lucians to be among the most violent people.
oh well….apart from the arab cousins conflict …we sure stand out…i may be wrong…but its a shame the way we fight each other in stlucia
a few years i was comeing from a land far away….i had to change planes several times…..all whent well …as soon as i got to miami to board the last flight to stlucia ….soaps…..curseing….quarelling…….ect …i was so ashamed….and it was not the first time……….most of us stlucians behave badly in public ……airports………bank lines……..hospitals…….ect…..remember the lines at the ticket counter of the movies ,years ago…….we have serious issues……….we insult our police at every oppurtunity……..we litter as we drive the high way like it no big thing…….if someone speaks up they are told …people getting paid to clean it………oh well………somebody needs to educate the average joe……..who will it be …maybe rick…….dereck……me…..you………i love my people but i hate their attitudes…….and the bad thing is whereever we go ny….london…..newjersey…same damn thing……some time ago i took 200 tourist out on a cruise ….every body was drunk…..music…hot sun …..no fuss no fight…..the following day 40 lucians on the same boat…i had to call the coast gaurd………..why?
ypu ask why? the answer is low self esteem and mal ay - lee - vay.
st lucians need to know that everyone is intitled to his or her own opinion,fighting will not help to put things right,
They are violent because they were brought up by the strap, this taught them to resolve problems through violence and fear. You see parents slapping their children’s face and you wonder how this will affect that child in the future, there you have it. Remember what your grandfather used to say “spare the rod and spoil the child”, someone did not tell him that the rod spoiled the adult.
abuse is evil……..so much strap i got,,,,why am i not a fighter ?i think children have to be spanked once in a while……….not abused in public…….parents have to teach kids how to handle conflict….instead these kid just follow the bad examples of their parents……….ignorant parents……………we curse our neigbours and grab cutlasses before any little conflict,,,,,,i guess now its mostly guns…..oh well
No sympathy for dem fellas. They are the same type that will support violent anti-women lyrics on the radio calling this entertainment.
Send the god damn bastard to jail!
What is a fractured ear drum. As a writer you have to substanciate what you write. The eardrum is a membrane (not a bone) and hence cannot be fractured. The bones attached to it (anvil, malleus and stirrup; biology 101) can be fractured. The eardrum can be perforated or ruptured; not broken/fractured. Please refrain from using medical jargon without knowing the meaning or context in which it can be used. Too many a times medical jargon are thrown into the mix when layman terms will do better justice to the average man on the street (to simply understand).
Please have pity on us in that regard…Laborian
EXTREMELY IGNORANT MAN, WOULD YOU CALL THAT PROFESSIONALISM IF YOU WANT TO ASK ME VERY IMMATURE. WHAT EVER HE GETS HE DESREVES IT FOOLISH MAN.
You rip what you sow
You guys are straying from this very serious article and are accusing St Lucians of being violent;there are violent people in all societies;do I condone this cheap and silly behaviour?Of course not.the important result is that the Ministry of Sports have ,rightly so taken awift actios-horray to them.I am writing from To.,but have a feeling the culprit is an “eye”man.