(SNO) — Minister for National Security, Hermangild Francis, is placing full confidence in the police on the island as they investigate homicides including a recent one in which one of their colleagues was named as a person of interest.

The murder of Kimberly De Leon sent shock waves across Saint Lucia for its horrific details and the fact that her husband, a police officer, may have been allegedly involved.

Francis told reporters last week the case is still under investigation and the officer is on administrative leave.

“We must allow the police to do their work and if they need assistance from the ministry, then they will get the information, they will get the assistance that they require,” he stated.

He said he didn’t want to jump to conclusion on the matter.

“I don’t want to jump the gun and prejudice anybody and say this is what should happen,” Francis pointed out. “Let the police do their work.”

According to him, the police in Saint Lucia are competent and he is satisfied that they will do a good job in the investigation, which he said will be unbiased.

“I know for a fact that it will be non-biased,” Francis remarked. “Police officers are professionals and they will do their very best to see to it that justice is served.”

De Leon was shot in the head on October 29.

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Yanna Auguste (left) was killed in 2015 and Kimberly De Leon, just last month. Both crimes remain unsolved.

(SNO) — The police is Saint Lucia are coming under fire for seemingly not doing enough to investigate crimes against women.

The unsolved case of Yanna Auguste, who was killed in 2015, and the recent of murder of Kimberly Williams-De Leon are being used by some as examples that enough is not being done by the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force.

Auguste’s mother, Camille Auguste, said she is still seeking justice for her daughter.

“Nothing is being done about crime, the women,” she told Hot7 News.

The elder Auguste said she has been calling the police on numerous occasions to ask what is going on in the investigations.

“They always tell me that the case is still open, they have not gotten everything yet,” she said.

Auguste said at this time she “is just there waiting”.

The distressed mother said that three years after her daughter’s death, she is still missed.

“Up to now we still miss her because she was such a loving person,” she said. “She was very, very friendly with everybody and we miss her a lot.”

Auguste said she is not satisfied with the slow rate of criminal investigations in Saint Lucia.

“Don’t tell me that not one of those crimes are being solved?” she stated. “Not one? What I am saying is that maybe the police don’t have all the things that they supposed to have to catch the perpetrators.”

Yana Auguste’s body was found near the wreckage of her vehicle at the bottom of Anse Chastnet Hill in Soufriere. It was initially thought she died due to the accident but a post-mortem revealed the true cause of death were physical trauma and asphyxia.

Williams-De Leon was shot at her residence on Oct. 29, 2018. The post-mortem revealed she died from a single gunshot wound to the head. No one has been arrested for her death.

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(SNO) — With cops reportedly working long hours in Saint Lucia, the Police Welfare Association (PWA) is expressing concerns over the matter.

President of the association, Travis Chicot, described the matter as “worrisome”.

“It is becoming a little bit worrisome to the Police Welfare Association in terms of the working hours,” he told MBC Television.

According to him, officers report to work at 9 a.m. on Mondays and remain till 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

“Our police officers have complained and as a welfare association, we believe that it is fit,” he remarked. “As it now stands, when we’ve done our calculations and we’ve done our investigations, when we look at the two days in, two day out system of work, we are persons in this country who are working in excess of 72 hours in a week.”

He said the International Labour Organization stipulates that a work week is 40 hours a week and he thinks that officers should be properly compensated for the hours they work per week.

Chicot said many police officers have spoken about high anxiety levels and many are seeking medical attention because of the long work hours.

“A few police officers are saying it is causing them a toll on the body, so some of them are receiving sick leave,” he stated. “So the Police Welfare Association believes the days for two days in, two days out must come to an end.”

He revealed that the rate of attrition in the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force is very high.

“Police officers retire in quick order,” he said. “We have a course of 50 officers presently at the training school but we still know it will not full the numbers in the police force. We have tried to solve the issue with employing special police constables but even then we are confronted with an issue where these persons are working, are doing the very same job with regular police officers but are receiving different pay.”

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Hermangild Francis

(CARIBBEAN NEWS NOW) — National security minister, Senator Hermangild Francis, has apparently come to the belated realisation that police officers accused of extrajudicial killings during the 2010/2011 Operation Restore Confidence (ORC) in Saint Lucia must be prosecuted if the sanctions imposed on the island’s security forces by the US under the so-called Leahy Law are to be lifted.

The operation led by the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) was conceived by the then United Workers Party (UWP) government to contain a violent crime wave but, following the operation, members of the RSLPF were accused of a number of extrajudicial killings that, in the absence of any official action to hold those responsible to account, eventually led to the US sanctions under federal law that prohibits foreign security forces credibly accused of human rights abuses from receiving US-sponsored assistance.

Eleven criminal suspects were allegedly killed by the police during Operation Restore Confidence but no one responsible for the killings has ever been prosecuted and, in fact, even inquests into the deaths also became delayed.

According to a report by Jamaican police officers under the aegis of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), commissioned by a subsequent Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) administration, “Investigators reported that all the shootings reviewed were ‘fake encounters’ staged by the police to legitimise their actions… weapons were planted on the scene of the shootings… and a number of the shootings were done by police officers but were listed in murder statistics as attributable to unknown assailants.”

Although Caribbean News Now has reported on several occasions that the US State Department has made it clear that the Leahy Law sanctions would only be lifted following credible prosecutions of those alleged to be responsible, the Saint Lucia government has persisted in an apparent denial of this reality, instead seemingly hoping that lobbying and discussions with the US embassy in Bridgetown would achieve the desired outcome.

However, this misguided belief failed to take into account that only the US Congress can now lift the sanctions, which is always going to be very unlikely to happen in the absence of the credible prosecutions insisted on by the State Department.

Francis now says that the decision to proceed with prosecutions was made after he spoke with the US undersecretary of defense and brought up the constraints the Leahy Law sanctions had on Saint Lucia.

“I told him everything that the government has done so far to show that we are serious about dealing with those matters,” he told local media. “And what I gathered was that the only thing that is going to suffice is that we have prosecution.”

He said the government is now working towards initiating prosecutions in the matter.

In yet another bizarre twist to this long-running saga, Francis has sought to shift the blame for the imposition of the Leahy Law sanctions on Saint Lucia onto local whistleblowers, instead of placing culpability squarely where it should remain: with the government ministers and police officials responsible for the debacle in the first place.

“The Americans were not the ones who came here to find any fact-finding mission or so on,” he stated. “It is us, Saint Lucians who actually called and gave information to the American State Department about what was happening, accusing certain ministers of government involving with criminals and police in that whole situation. So, we are the ones who actually put ourselves in that situation, and so we have to work extremely hard to get out of that situation.”

Meanwhile, Richard Frederick, a local attorney at law and former minister in the UWP government at the time of Operation Restore Confidence, has taken issue with what he described as a “burning desire” on the part of Francis to prosecute police officers accused of the extrajudicial killings in question.

“You know, there seems to be a desire to haul police officers before the courts,” Frederick said.

The former minister said he believes in justice but not at the expense of the innocent.

“Now folks I have said time and time again, and I will repeat, anyone, anyone, including me, anyone, if you’ve done the crime be prepared to do the time, full stop, full stop,” he said, adding, “But what I don’t agree with though, is that having someone to be taken before the court just for dragging them before the courts sake, or to have an innocent man being punished without justification, or for something he has not done.”

“…if there is evidence that any police officer did anything wrong, I would be the first to say let the chips fall where they may. Charge him or her like you would charge anybody else. If any police officer committed any crime and there is evidence and substantiation, he or she ought to be treated like an ordinary citizen. If any police officer took the lives of other citizens of this country without justification and there is evidence to substantiate that, jail them, take them before the courts and jail them,” he continued.

However, he went on to say that it appears in the ORC situation that “if there is no evidence, evidence has to be found somewhere”.

It is understood that a number of the RSLPF officers that may be at risk for prosecution in the ORC matter have approached Frederick with a view to retaining him to represent them in any court proceedings.

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Kimberly De Leon (left) was shot to death and her husband a cop (right) is fingered by police as a “person of interest” but he has not been arrested or charged.

(SNO) — The brother of Kimberly Williams-De Leon, who was fatally shot on October 29, is dismissing allegations that domestic violence was involved in her marriage life.

He spoke to The Star newspaper following a candlelight vigil for his sister on Tuesday.

“It’s normal for people to assume what they want,” he was quoted as saying.

He said the allegations of domestic abuse are just rumors and only verbal confrontations were involved.

“But it was just rumours, I can tell you that. It was just verbal confrontation, that’s all. Not anything physical. It was just man and woman talk; just quarrelling,” he pointed out.

When asked whether these confrontations possibly led to his sister’s death, the relative said he hopes not.

“I don’t want to point fingers at anyone. I wasn’t there and I’m definitely not going to make any connections,” he stated.

He also said that some of the family were interviewed by the police but, as for himself, he stopped co-operating with them.

“It was something that was said to me and I wasn’t too pleased. So I guess, basically, I kind of cut off the conversation,” he revealed.

Williams-De Leon was shot and killed on October 29. She died due to a gunshot wound to her head, according to the post-mortem.

Her husband, a police officer, was named as a person of interest in the matter.  He is now on administrative leave.

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Kimberly De Leon

(SNO) — A law enforcement source has stated that police are aware of reports of domestic disturbances or heated arguments involving Kimberly Williams-De Leon and her husband, but not reports of violence that media houses have been reporting.

Williams-De Leon, a 42-year-old government employee and mother of two, was gunned down at her residence on Chef Harry Drive, Morne Fortune on the night of Oct. 29, 2018.

Her husband, a senior police officer, was mentioned by police as a person of interest, but members of the public have been calling for his arrest due to allegations in some media reports that he physically assaulted her in at least two incidents that occurred about six to seven months ago.

However, the law enforcement source told St. Lucia News Online that the media is “always spreading gossip”.

“They need to verify. So much false news they’re spreading it’s not even funny,” the source said.

“They said the woman was shot seven times. That was not the case. They said the officer was beating the woman — not the case. The deputy said domestic disputes, not violence,” the source added.

Like common fights between couples, the disputes centered around allegations of infidelity and sinister behaviours, the source alleged.

The source further disclosed that the disputes appeared to have stemmed from paranoia and mistrust, but there was nothing physical.

“But they run the story as if he was beating her,” the source noted.

A post-mortem revealed Williams-De Leon sustained one gunshot wound, and that was to the head, despite early media reports that she was shot multiple times.

Neighbours did report to the media of having heard seven to 10 explosions in the vicinity of the homicide.

“They heard,” the source said, “but only one hit her. And no one considered maybe she was hit by a stray bullet and not all was directed at her.”

Asked why the police remained silent and allowed the (‘alleged’) untruths to spiral out of control, the source said: “They (police) cannot legally come out and say parts of the evidence.”

The source is adamant that the media is to be blamed for the false info, not the police “because they don’t bother to investigate. Anytime someone is willing to speak to them they’re willing to air. No fact-checking”.

The source added that the police is unable to disclose certain details of a homicide investigation, especially in its infancy state, but had the media asked the right questions then there would be no confusion.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 30, the day after the murder, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) In Charge of Operations, Dorian O’Brian, first mentioned that De Leon’s husband is a person of interest in the investigation because of domestic dispute reports involving the couple that were made twice this year. Legal experts have since opined with our newsroom that disclosing this information to the public without the husband being charged, may prejudice a future trial.

O’Brian had said: “I can recall there have been two incidents prior that police did respond to and had to quell certain issues between the wife and the husband. But I can’t go into the details … maybe between the region of six to seven months ago. I would also like to clear the air that the police force, myself and the assistant commissioner for crime had a proper briefing this morning to ensure that the investigation will not be biased just because the person of interest is a police officer.”

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(SNO) — Ideal Bakery on Water Works Road in Castries was robbed by two bandits on Monday evening (Nov. 12).

And the whole scenario was captured on security cameras.

The manager of the bakery told St. Lucia News Online that the incident occurred at 7:20 p.m.

A female employee was the only person in the bakery at the time when the two bandits, one armed with a handgun, carried out the robbery from over the counter.  The manager said the employee has been left traumatized by the incident. He said this is not the first time the bakery has been robbed.

The bandits fled with an undisclosed sum of cash. See the video below

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(SNO) — Two employees of Renwick & Company Ltd. were reportedly held at gunpoint in Jacmel on Monday afternoon (Nov. 12) and robbed of the company’s vehicle, according to reports.

The employees were unharmed.

According to a social media bulletin, the company’s Chocolisto sales van was taken during the robbery.

“Our team [members] are safe however the van was taken from them and the tracker has already been deactivated. We would appreciate it if anyone seeing our Chocolisto van PE9785 would let us know location of sighting. We would also appreciate it if you would spread the word through social media,” the bulletin states.

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(SNO) — A vehicle belonging to Renwick & Company Ltd which was taken after an armed robbery by gunmen has been recovered.

However, it was discovered in a precipice, a company spokesperson said.

The robbery of the company’s Chocolisto sales van occurred in Jacmel on Monday, November 12.

Rhain Rivers of Renwick & Company told Caribbean Hotfm that employees were just getting ready to serve a shop when the incident took place.

“What happened is they were reversing into the driveway of the shop and the vehicle put up in front of them,” he remarked.

He added that reports of a tracking device in the vehicle being turned off is not true.

However, he stated that all the goods in the vehicle was taken and the vehicle was discovered in a precipice.

“So it was written off,” Rivers revealed.

He also commended the police for their swift action following the incident.

“And I must commend the police force, their speedy reaction to the situation,” he remarked. “I find that very good of them.”

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(SNO) — The police say they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Dandra Phillip, a 23-year-old resident of Independence City, Castries.

They say they are also investigating a shooting incident in Ciceron.

According to a statement from the police, officers attached to the Criminal Investigations Department received a report of a lifeless body, about 6:15 a.m. on Sunday, November 18, 2018 at Cedars, Castries.

Investigations revealed Phillip sustained multiple gunshot wounds about the body.

He was taken to the Victoria Hospital where he was pronounced dead by a medical practitioner.

Concerning the incident at Ciceron, the police said on Sunday November 18, 2018 about 3:47 pm, officers attached to the Criminal Investigations Department proceeded to the Victoria Hospital where they encountered the victim.

He reported a known male for discharging several rounds of ammunition in his direction, hitting him about the body.

He received medical treatment and is reported to be in a stable condition.

Investigations are continuing into both matters.

The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force would like to appeal to anyone with information to contact the Criminal Investigations Department at 456-3770.

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The body was found face down

(SNO) — The body of a man was reportedly found in a ravine in Monchy SNO has been informed.

Details are sketchy at this time but information is that the body was found in Ravine Macock on Monday morning.

Reports are that it was found by a resident of the area lying in a face down position in a puddle of water.

SNO was informed that the police and ambulance were called and the body was taken away.

More information on this incident will be published when it becomes available.

Area where the body was found

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(SNO) — Western Technology Group Inc. was closed on Thursday after at least two masked gunmen attacked the Rodney Heights, Gros Islet branch on Wednesday evening, according to police.

The bandits escaped with an undisclosed sum of cash. The incident occurred after 7 p.m.

An employee was held at gunpoint but no one was reported injured.

The attack was captured on security cameras.

No one has been arrested to date.

A third man, who is unmasked, is seen in the video but it is not yet confirmed if he was part of the robbery.

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(SNO) – Police are investigating the death of a man and the injuring of another during a shooting on Chaussee Road, Castries on Friday night  (Dec. 7) about 8 p.m.

The names of the victims have not been released pending notification of their immediate relatives.

The incident comes after the shooting of Bois Patat resident Johnny Jeffers on Chaussee Road during the day on Friday.

Jeffers, who sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder, believed he was hit by a stray bullet. He has since been discharged from hospital.

Also on Friday, two males sustained injuries in a shooting in Sunbilt. One of the victims, identified as Cannis Smith, was killed in the incident.

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Nadia Wells

(PRESS RELEASE) — On Monday December 10, 2018 about 10:00 p.m. officers attached to the Criminal Investigation Department in Castries responded to a report of a shooting at Bois Patat, Castries.

Nadia Wells and a male were the occupants of a motorcar, when they were approached by unknown individuals, who proceeded to discharge rounds in their direction. Nadia Wells and the male were injured during the incident and were conveyed to a medical facility.

About 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 11, 2018, Nadia Wells succumbed. A post mortem examination is scheduled for a subsequent date.

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(PRESS RELEASE) — On Monday December 10, 2018 about 10:00 p.m. officers attached to the Drug Unit in Vieux Fort, whilst on mobile patrol, recovered a stolen gold Toyota Corolla. The said vehicle was stored away in a shed, in Aupicon, Vieux Fort.

Further investigations lead to the recovery of several other parts, at a different location, believed to have been scrapped from the motorcar.

As a consequence, three individuals are currently in police custody.

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Dr. Virginia Albert-Poyotte

(CMC) – A former president of the St. Lucia Teachers Union (SLTU) is calling on stakeholders including the police to take the necessary action against those responsible for the circulation of a video on social media showing a school girl in uniform engaged in sexual acts.

“This is getting out of hand,” Virginia Albert-Poyotte, a veteran educator told an on-line publication after the police and education officials confirmed they were aware of existence of the video, involving the 13-year-old student.

Albert-Poyotte said the authorities should ensure that the persons with whom the teenager was engaging in sexual activity, those who recorded the video., as well as those circulating the video face criminal prosecution.

“Whoever is involved in this type of activity needs to be pursued and justice needs to be administered in order to curtail that kind of behaviour,” the former school principal said, urging the Ministry of Education, the SLTU, the National Principals Association and the police to come together and decide how to deal with the matter.

The publication said that in addition to the video, there are also reports that nude photos of another young girl have been posted on social media.

Under the St. Lucia Criminal Code, no person under the age of sixteen can legally consent to sex. The code makes it a criminal offence for anyone to have sexual intercourse with or attempt to have sex with a child under 16, commonly known as statutory rape.

The maximum penalty for rape in St. Lucia is life imprisonment.

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Windry ‘Fat Boy’ Cole was gunned down at Waterworks Road on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018. He is one of the 41 persons killed so far this year.

(CMC) – Police Commissioner, Severin Moncherry said that new anti-crime strategies were being implemented as the Royal St. Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) acknowledged it had not been able to achieve the target set regarding murders on the island.

“We have reviewed our plans and our strategies and from all indications it would appear that we have not been able to meet some of our intended targets. As a result, we are putting in place new plans, new strategies,” Moncherry told a news conference on Monday.

He told reporters that the new strategy would be “more aggressive” and that from all indications, it appears that criminals have declared war on the people and by extension, the police.

Moncherry had earlier this year, indicated that the police had a plan to keep the number of homicides ‘at a particular level.

“That we have not been able to achieve,” he said, as the island has so far recorded 41 murders this year.

The Police Commissioner said he wanted to re-assure the public that the police remain committed to the ensuring their safety and security and praised the “‘hardworking’ officers for the work they have done in the past months.

He defended the use of force, saying that the law makes provision for the level of force to be used in different circumstances.

“If you create the atmosphere and the situation for force to be used, we will surely use force where it is necessary, even if we have to move to the highest level of force provided for in the criminal code of St. Lucia,” Moncherry said, adding that the time had come to deal with crime across the island, and not specifically on the streets.

““So whether you be in high office, whether you be a law enforcement officer, whether you be a politician, pastor, teacher, priest – the law will apply to everyone,” Moncherry said.

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(PRESS RELEASE) — After months of planning, the third annual Make it Happen Foundation Officers’ Ball came to life at the Sandals Grande Beach Resort & Spa on December 1st.

Annually, the fundraising gala features a night of entertainment aimed at raising money for projects which build upon the strength, resources and morale of police and fire fighters island-wide.

Held in the ambience of the Bill Clinton Ballroom, the event saw the attendance of many of the island’s top ranking officials, including Prime minister Hon. Allen Chastanet, Minister for Economic Development Hon. Guy Joseph, Tourism Minister Hon. Dominic Fedee, Minister of the Public Service Hon. Ubaldus Raymond, Attorney General Stephen Julien, business leaders and CEOs of local and regional companies, head honchos of the police and fire service and Ambassadors of Cuba, Taiwan, Venezuela, Libya and representatives of the British High Commission and the Argentine and Spanish Embassies in Saint Lucia.

Organizer of the event and Chairperson of the Make It Happen Foundation, Mrs. Raquel Du Boulay-Chastanet, wife of Prime Minister Hon. Allen Chastanet noted in her address that Saint Lucian police and firefighters put their lives on the line daily, asking for very little in return. She viewed the Ball as a way of celebrating officers and giving back.

“This year we take the opportunity to remind you about the many sacrifices our fire and police officers make, and the challenges they face daily in the most difficult of circumstances,” Make it Happen’s Chairperson said to a sold-out Ball room. “We hope this evening inspires many more of you to work with us to try to improve their working conditions and to ensure they’re treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.”

Mrs. Du Boulay-Chastanet pointed out that the Foundation was not trying to step into the shoes of government, but instead, “play our part as private citizens to assist where we can.” She voiced that it was unreasonable to expect officers to perform their roles effectively without the proper environment, tools and resources to do so.

As part of the event, a short feature was shown demonstrating the work of the Make it Happen Foundation, detailing how funds have been spent on various projects benefiting the island’s essential services. A 90 second video was also shown highlighting the new police headquarters soon to be constructed which was received by appreciative applause from the audience.

The Foundation’s Chair thanked all officers who were present and those who were working the beat. She bemoaned the fact that it is primarily negative stories which get circulated and reiterated the need for more positive stories to receive public attention as for many hard-working officers, recognition and gratitude are hard to come by.

Last year’s Ball raised $125,000, with the previous year bringing in roughly $115,000. The proceeds went toward the refurbishment of several police and fire stations around the island, the implementation of new lounges, offices, kitchens and bathrooms within the facilities, and the addition of new furniture and features including water tanks. Thus far, beneficiaries include the Gros Islet Fire Station, Gros Islet Police Station, Marchand Police Station, Vieux Fort Police Station and Vieux Fort Crash Fire Hall, Micoud Police and Fire Stations, Soufriere Police and Fire Stations, Choiseul Police Station, Laborie Police Station and Dennery Police and Fire Stations, with many more expected to receive assistance in the coming year.

In 2018, the Make it Happen Foundation further increased outreach to benefit local schools, working with facilitators at the Odsan Primary School and the Fond Assau Combined School to build a new library in each. From all accounts, the improvements were well received by teachers and students. Donations of items such as wheelchairs and bathrobes were also made to private individuals, homes for aged persons, the Dennery Hospital and smaller sums were made available for some individual medical needs and the Vigie Football field.

At Saturday’s gala event, Lifetime Achievement awards were presented to former police and fire officers who demonstrated the power of the human spirit and who built their careers on the backs of their own dedication and drive. The first went to a man described as “a legend of the fire service”, Mr. Joseph Mathurin. Presenters noted that still today, many spoke admirably of Mr. Mathurin, who was credited for having been a staunch custodian of discipline and integrity.

A second Lifetime Achievement award went to Rudolph ‘Toto’ Charles, a man of humble beginnings and a musician at heart. Charles played a significant role in the formation of what is today known as the Royal Saint Lucia Police Band.

The third award of the evening went to George Rock, a man with a high level of motivation and innovation, and a reputable detective, who solved cases that went down in history. All received commemorative awards and a weekend stay at Coconut Bay.

A rapid-fire auction offered trips, cruises, jewellery, watches, hotel stays and more. Sandals, Jade Mountain, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines, MSC Cruise Lines, Carnival Sailing, Royalton, Le Sport, Sugar Beach and others were some of the brands on offer, and guests competed fiercely for the best prizes. Proceeds of the auction will go toward the Foundation’s 2019 budget.

Showing support for the local fashion industry, the event once again unfolded with a Saint Lucian fashion theme, with guests invited to show off creations by local designers. Belle of the Ball, Mrs. Raquel Du Boulay-Chastanet made an unforgettable debut in a gown made by renowned local designer Queen Esther. Halfway through the evening, the original green number was swapped for a classic black lace number, also designed by Queen Esther. Former inspector Gerald Cyril, last year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner and a two-time best dressed winner, won the award again this year. Ashline George wearing a creation by Cherry Ann Gaillard won the Women’s Best Dressed award. Trendy duo Agnes Monplaisir-Pellerin and Christian Pellerin walked away with the Best Dressed Couple’s award.

Set to continue making things happen in a big way for Saint Lucians, organizers are grateful for the event’s success and contributions from sponsors and corporate partners. Plans are already underway to make an even bigger impact in 2019.

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Some of Saint Lucia’s most recent homicide victims: from left, Nadia Wells, fatally shot on Dec. 10 in Bois Patat, Castries; Cannis Smith, aged 47, fatally shot on Dec. 6 in Sunbilt, Castries; and Desroy President, aged 18, fatally stabbed on Nov. 30 in Bruceville, Vieux Fort.

(CMC) – Prime Minister Allen Chastanet has described crime as one of the glaring challenges facing the country even as it celebrates its latest achievements.

Chastanet spoke against the backdrop of a recent sharp upsurge in gun violence, as he delivered a message Thursday to mark National Day.

“This year’s National Day finds St Lucia virtually on the cusp of a new beginning as far as development is concerned,” he observed.

“We have begun to see some positive projections for our country regarding the economy, the lowering of unemployment and the advancement of necessary social and infrastructural projects.”

He stated that the government this week made a significant step towards building the infrastructure necessary to facilitate growth.

He made reference to the upgrade of sporting facilities around the island as presenting the opportunities for more young people to chart a course in the sporting arena.

The Prime Minister said this is complemented by the after school sports programmes and the development of the school focused on sports excellence.

Chastanet explained that his administration is also about to start major developments in the country, including finally the redevelopment of the International Airport and the upgrade of road networks.

However, he lamented that even as St Lucia celebrates these latest achievements, “we are fully aware of the challenges that face our fair Helen,” among them – the issue of crime.

“Strategically we have taken decisions as a Government to strengthen our police force and justice system and we recognize we still have a long way to go,” Chastanet asserted.

“The key however is to steer our youth away from a life of crime and this takes all of us as a society. Our country’s ability to combat this scourge means all hands on deck for us to be successful. Therefore we must support the police and each other in efforts to combat crime,” the St Lucia Prime Minister declared.

“As a Government, National Day inspires us to remain focused on the task ahead which is to once again put St Lucia on the path to prosperity. Now more than ever, we cannot start doubting ourselves as a country. We must be “ALL-IN”,” Chastanet stated.

“Let this time, this National Day, be an awakening for us, as we recognize the greatness and possibilities for our country,” he said.

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Roy Boughton ( Photo courtesy The Daily Mail)

(SNO) — A search is underway for a 72-year-old British man who was last seen boarding his vessel in Saint Lucia on November 19, according to The Daily Mail.

The man, identified as Roy Boughton, is a sailor from Liverpool but is reported to have visited Rodney Bay Marina in Saint Lucia, the Mail reported.

He was last seen leaving in a dinghy at the Rodney Bay Marina and concerned friends reported him missing, the Mail further reported.

The Saint Lucia Marina Police have been searching for the British national.

“Searches have also been done from the air. Boughton owns two yachts. Both were searched but no blood or signs of distress were found,” an officer was quoted as saying by The Sun (UK).

Boughton reportedly arrived in Saint Lucia on a Thursday afternoon and was drinking at one of the Rodney Bay Marina bars with other sailors from a mega yacht, according to the Mail.

“When they had finished their drinks, Mr Boughton allegedly fell outside on a pavement. Some asked for Mr Boughton, who appeared out of sorts, to be put up in a room for the night. Yet he is said to have been helped onto his dinghy, which was started for him before he left the marina’s dock. He has not been seen since,” the Mail reported.

A message posted on his blog yachtguidinglight.blogspot.com on November 22 reads: “Roy Boughton, the author of this blog, went missing on 15th November 2018. This is a message from his sister Lynne: For all Roy’s friends who may visit this page:-Thank you for asking sailors far and wide to look out for Roy and for your concern. As yet there is still no news or sightings, the coastguard have had an air and sea search going on today. We hope and pray for a happy outcome. Will post any further news here as well as contacting others. Anyone with any information should contact the Coastguard or the UK Foreign Office.”

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