It has been the custom in this country to post gruesome photos of deceased individuals, especially victims of car accidents and violence. Even before the official suicide announcement on Monday, photos of alleged suicide victim 17-year-old Gervais Emmanuel of Rocky Lane, Dennery were on the internet with accompanying comments by anonymous posters. The STAR sat down with a relative of Emmanuel, whose name we agreed not to publish.
“I’ll say this,” she said, “you have to try to put yourself in the shoes of family members. It’s a painful thing for my family. We’re coping as best we can but I know it’s something that will stay with us for a very long time. Posting his pictures suggests unbelievable insensitivity. It’s as if some people were celebrating what happened to Gervais. I find this so disrespectful. That kind of thing needs to stop. Saint Lucians need to be a bit more sensitive, a little less heartless.”
She also addressed the alleged reasons for the suicide that effectively blamed the victim’s family. There were several posted poems allegedly by Emmanuel. “Sometimes what you see out there is not necessarily the truth,” said his cousin. “You need to get to know somebody and understand their circumstances. If you don’t have the story, if you don’t know what’s going on, then stop bashing and blaming his family. Gervais had a lot of love for his mother and his sister. He had a lot of love for his family. The armchair psychiatrists need to dig deeper, because we don’t know what persons are suffering until something tragic happens.” The rumour-mongering was not restricted to social media. Saint Lucia Times and Loop Slu also reported conflicting details about the alleged suicide. While Loop Slu reported Emmanuel was 16 years old, Saint Lucia Times reported he was 17.
According to Loop Slu: “The incident has reignited conversation on homophobia in Saint Lucia and the poor treatment towards members of the island’s LGBTQ community by the general public.” The online publication also cited a post from “a friend” that blamed Emmanuel’s death on “homophobic pressure on Gervais”. External Affairs Minister Sarah Flood-Beaubrun was bombarded by reporters seeking a comment on the 17-year-old’s sexual preferences. “Given your strong family values,” asked one reporter, “what can you say about the suicide of the young man from Dennery, given that he was openly gay?”
The minister’s careful response: “I would not like to speak on such a sensitive topic, especially given this particular situation. Suicide is a very, very hard thing for family members and I think when we have situations like that it’s important to give family members space. The fact that he may have been gay is neither here nor there. It’s a very hard time for the family and there should be some sensitivity in dealing with it.”
