Speak Out St. Lucia (SOS), an organization which was launched here on Monday March 14, has expressed concern about recent statements coming from the prime minister of Saint Lucia on the issue of rape. The organization seeks to press for a sex offenders registry and for justice for victims of rape and sexual abuse, among other things.
According to a press release from SOS, Prime Minister Dr. Kenny D. Anthony made a statement on March 10 to commemorate International Women’s Day, saying there are ‘serial rapists’ on the island. “This is not the first time the Prime Minister has made this statement,” the release says, adding, “In November 2015, a few days after a 97-year-old woman was raped in Mon Repos, he said, ‘We have serial rapists at large.’ ”
According to SOS, the logical questions that should be asked following the Prime Minister’s revelation are:
• Based on what information did the Prime Minister come to the conclusion that there are serial rapists?
• Is this the conclusion of law enforcement personnel or is it solely the Prime Minister’s estimation?
For the Prime Minister to have arrived at such a conclusion, the organization says, would suggest that there are serial rapists on the loose. It maintains that this also suggests that a description of the rapists has been made by multiple victims in order to convince the Prime Minister that the same persons have committed these rapes, or evidence has been collected from multiple rapes which point to the same individuals.
“If this information has been available to the authorities and the Prime Minister since, at least, November 2015, wouldn’t it be prudent to inform the people of Saint Lucia with this information?” SOS asks.
Further, do these rapists strike in the north of the island? Do they prefer countryside victims? Are they concentrated in Mon Repos, or Vieux Fort, Soufriere, etc.? Is there a description of the features of these rapists? Do these rapists target a specific type of victim? Long hair, slim, tall, old, young, etc.? Do these serial rapists strike during a certain time of day? Do they prefer outdoor or in-home attacks?
All of this information is what would help the public take more appropriate measures to safeguard themselves, the organization says. The question remains: Have more patrols or other deployments of police personnel been made to apprehend these serial rapists?
Speak Out St. Lucia is pleased with the Prime Minister’s statement: “We do need a mechanism to allow sex offenders to be named and [for] people to have a sense of who these offenders are . . .”
and his comment: “There is too much tolerance particularly in our homes and society for sexual offences.”
Notwithstanding, Speak Out St. Lucia remains concerned about the reasons no detailed information has been given to the public regarding these serial rapists.
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