Police Commissioner Vernon Francois.

Police Commissioner Vernon Francois wants to see a more speedy closure to investigations into allegations of extra-judicial killings by the members of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force.

Francois, in a Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), article is cited saying, “I was hoping that this process would have been completed by now because obviously it’s a cloud over the department and we need to move forward,” Francois said, adding that the original time frame for the investigation had been February this year.

Last year, a team of police investigators from Jamaica visited St. Lucia to conduct an independent probe into alleged extra-judicial killings of 12 persons by local police officers dating back to 2010 through 2012, in an “Operation Restore Confidence,” in which the lawmen are accused of having a Hit List of criminals whom they targeted.

The allegations had resulted in the United States banning local police from benefiting from any initiatives that it funds or organises. The ban is also in effect for Police Commissioner Francois, who could not participate in a Conference of Black Police Officers in the U.S last year.

“I have noticed that what is happening is that you get one thing out of the way and you automatically get into something else. If the desired outcome is not arrived at, you have to do something else.”

“We should not say subsequent to the investigation, let us do something else because we did not get a desired outcome,” Francois told a CMC reporter.

A man cleaning the premises of crime scene.

A woman believed to be between 50 and 60 years old was this morning (May 15) allegedly raped and left between booths 10 and 11 on St. Louis Street, Castries.

Saint Lucia News Online (SNO) understands that the woman’s attackers inserted a stick in her vagina. The rupture caused the rape victim to bleed profusely. Chunks of blood were spotted at the scene.

The woman was taken to the Victoria Hospital for treatment.

SNO will provide more details as it becomes available.

The CDC Apartment Building is located near the booths where a rape victim was found helpless early Thurs. morning. *SNO photo.

The rape of a woman in Castries city has incited a plea for heightened police patrols in the neighbourhood where the victim was found.

Cynthia, who resides in an apartment at the CDC Building, told the media on Thursday morning (May 15) that the rape incident has made her uneasy. She found out about the attack a little after 6 a.m. as she was leaving for work.

Cynthia said she saw police canvassing the area and clots of blood on the pavement near the booths.

“That was very sad and it is very dangerous for the people living in the CDCs’,” she added.

Stall owner, Beverly Thomas. *SNO photo.

Cynthia described the area as “dangerous” since she believes it is never advisable to walk there when the sun is down.

“In the day it’s very beautiful to walk that street, but in the nights it’s very horrible. I went to the station and asked them to get police to patrol and nothing has happened, and most of the street lights are not working,” she said.

“I am a mother, I have children and I feel very hurt inside. I cried this morning because that could happen to anyone of us,” she explained.

She claimed that the neighbourhood is known to have several criminals and young people indulging in illicit beaviour.

Meanwhile, the owner of booth 11, Beverly Thomas also implored for more police presence.

“Castries don’t see much police presence … in the evening sometimes I work late and you barely see any police men patrolling …We need more of that,” she said.

“I believe that people have to come together with the policemen, and the policemen likewise have to support the people so we have less of these things,” Thomas noted.

Alistair Isaac was described as a career criminal by the court.

St. Lucian-born Nevis trial judge, Justice Lorraine Williams, has been commended by a Nevis prosecutor for her recent sentencing of a convicted rapist and robber in that country.

Alistair Isaac,33, was sentenced to 38 years in prison after he was found guilty of attacking and raping a woman (without a condom) at knife point and assaulting her husband in July 2012.

Justice William’s May 2 sentencing received backing from Nevis Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Travers Sinanan who believes that it will serve as an example to potential sex offenders.

Isaac, who was described as a career criminal by the court, was adamant that he was innocent throughout the trial. His track record with the law however spoke of something else. He is already serving a 12-year sentence for wounding and attacking another woman. His new sentence runs consecutively with that term.

Justice Lorraine Williams, according to Nevis media, appeared to be unmoved by Isaac’s claims of innocence and pleas to give him a chance.

“It’s heartening to see the judge deliver a sentence so robust that it sends a message to all would-be sex offenders and all who have committed offences,” the DPP said.

“It is heartening that this judge imposed a sentence of 38 years consecutive to the sentence that the offender is now serving of 12 years,” he further stated.

The judge had urged Isaac to seek counselling and become a useful member of society.

Another photo of Isaac.

Justice Williams has served as attorney general, minister of legal affairs and women’s affairs and president of the Bar Association in St. Lucia. She was also an assistant director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome.

Police are currently investigating two rapes which occurred here in St. Lucia in the space of five days.

The first occurred in Dennery on May 11 and involved a 21-year-old businesswoman who was also robbed by the three men who raped her while on her way from work.

The second happened just this morning (May 15), and involved a 50-60-year-old female victim who was reportedly assaulted with a stick to the vagina.

The Vieux-Fort Police Station has confirmed the report of a robbery and wounding incident involving a medical student.

Reports are that Kendal Fontenelle, a student of Spartan Health Services University, was robbed last night and chopped while on his way to a bakery.

The bandits reportedly took $25 and Fontenelle’s cell phone.

The victim was admitted to St. Jude Hospital in stable condition. He sustained wounds to his hands, according to sources.

More information soon.

Viuex Fort’s Sandy Beach.

Police are interested in finding a group of individuals who have been riding in a car and robbing unsuspecting victims in the south.

Two persons were reportedly robbed at gunpoint on Sandy Beach Wednesday night by two unidentified individuals, and police believe the culprits are part of this said group.

The culprits took cellphones and cash.

“Last night (Wednesday) we actually had three in Vieux Fort. Persons who were walking to their homes late in the evening [were the victims],” a police source told Saint Lucia News Online (SNO).

“It appears that they [the culprits] are actually operating in the south. It’s a group of about four persons who have been traveling in a car. Though we cannot disclose the registration number of the car,” the police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

Robberies that have taken place over the past few days in Laborie, Micoud and Vieux Fort have also been reported to the police. There were four armed robberies in Micoud on Saturday, May 10, the officer said.

This has prompted police to intensify patrols in the south. Police stations in that district have also been alerted.

There has been a community meeting in the area to discuss the situation.

The police would like the public to be on their guard.

“We are very concerned about the citizens in the south,” the police officer said, adding that strategies have been effected to catch the criminals.

A quiet evening picking “fat pokes (or pork)” – a local fruit – on Sandy Beach, Vieux Fort and ‘catching up’ with a best friend is nothing new for a young woman.

But on Wednesday evening, May 14, that peaceful moment was disturbed abruptly when the young woman and her best friend – a male – were robbed at gunpoint by two “nervous” young hoodlums.

The woman, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Saint. Lucia News Online (SNO) in an exclusive interview that spending time on Sandy Beach is a hobby.

“I was by the beach about 5:15 p.m. I usually go there to pick fat pokes since I love them. I usually go there with my best friend where we walk all around and we would sit there and chat,” she said.

“When we were going to pick the fruits, I saw these two young guys passing like all the others. I always pay attention to my surroundings so I took a good look at them as they studied the jeep, so I told my friend to go and lock the jeep and get the keys out which he did,” she explained.

“We picked to our hearts content because I enjoy picking. Other vehicles came and did the same, stayed there and left. We usually talk because he is my mentor and he helps with my assignments and all. We were there talking [in the vehicle], facing the Fort,” she said.

About an hour later, the tranquility was broken with the voice of a young man.

“I just heard ‘give me your money. Hurry up, pass it,’” she told SNO.

The robbery was underway.

“One went to the driver’s side and the other on my side. I told him I know that the gun is fake and I know him. I tried opening the door to knock him so I could get out. I know if I was let out I could have attacked him.  They were not big,” she noted.

The victim said the gun appeared to be a toy, but they still complied with the demands of the robbers – albeit with some hesitance.

“And I looked into the gun and saw it was empty. I could have seen a light through it. I have an interest in guns so I studied it before. It was empty. And even when the other guy said shoot and he cranked it I knew (it was fake or empty). I told him I knew and I tried opening the door.

“They took my friend’s cash (about $300) and my phone it. It was 6:25 (p.m.). I knew for sure because I took my phone to call my uncle.”

The victim described the incident as “surreal”. Luckily, the couple was not harmed.

She suspected that the robbers were watching them since they arrived on the beach.

“It was just so surreal. I am sure it’s the same guys because the guy who was near me seemed nervous and when I told him I know him, his hands shook. They looked (ages) 17-20 – no older. I am sure.

“I saw the way they looked at the vehicle. They must have planned and came back. There was a guy looking at us right after it was done from his hut not too far away. And as they ran though the plantation, they parted ways, and one ran through the fat poke field and the other went passed another house right through the same field,” she disclosed.

The woman said it was her first time getting robbed. She said Sandy Beach is normally peaceful.

“I have never been robbed. That’s the only place, beach I go just for the fat poke, and take lots of pics with my phone since I’m a nature lover,” she noted.

The whole incident affected her appetite that night.

“I picked the fat pokes and I didn’t eat them. When I got home I left them at the garage,” she said.

Police confirmed the incident and told SNO that on that same day, three other robberies were reported in the south district. A medical student was one of the victims. He sustained a chop wound to one of his legs.

Police theorise that the robberies may have been committed by the same group of persons.

Robberies have taken place over the past few days in Laborie, Micoud and Vieux Fort. There were four armed robberies in Micoud on Saturday, May 10, police said.

Kerry Marius * Photo provided by police.

Police are seeking help in locating a 24-year-old man who has been missing for almost a week.

Kerry Marius of Marisule, Gros Islet was last seen by his family on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at about 11 p.m., police said in a press release.

Marius is described as being about 5ft 5inches tall, dark-skinned and “well built”.

Police further stated that Marius has a “hairy birth mark” on the left side of his belly and a scar on his ankle. He was reportedly last seen wearing a brown shirt, shorts and a white cap.

ANYONE WITH ANY INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT THE GROS ISLET POLICE STATION AT TELEPHONE NUMBER 456-3830, OR THE NEAREST POLICE STATION.

Nemiah Ernest * Photo issued by police

Police are seeking the public’s assistance in apprehending a Dennery man who is accused of committing grievous harm.

Nemiah Ernest, aka Fly, of Belmont, Dennery committed the offence on Asa Sandiford at about 12:05 a.m. on Thursday, April 22 in Denniere Riviere, Dennery, according to the arrest warrant which is dated May 9, 2014.

“The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force is seeking the assistance of the public in locating this individual.  If anyone has information which can assist in locating him, please contact the Richfond Police Station at telephone number 456-3690 or the nearest police station. If the subject is viewing this broadcast, please report yourself to the nearest police station,” the press release stated.

Police have dismissed widespread reports that an elderly woman, who was hospitalised on Thursday, May 15, was sexually assaulted, but the lawmen have failed to say what injuries – if any – that the woman sustained despite stating that she “appeared to be in severe pain” in hospital and the matter is under investigation.

News that an elderly woman, between 50 and 60 years old, was allegedly raped and had a stick inserted in her vagina Thursday morning, and left between booths 10 and 11 in a pool of blood on St. Louis Street, Castries, evoked shock and disgust from the public.

Multiple media houses including DBS, HTS, and  Saint Lucia News Online quoted emergency, police and civilian sources confirming the brutal rape/sexual assault.

However, in a press release distributed today – 24 hours long after the incident – the Police Information Office sought to clarify the issue in a vaguely-written statement.

The release has not clarified the following: injuries of the alleged victim (if any), the reason/s why the woman was stated to be in “severe pain”, nor why the matter is still being investigated if officers are “yet” to identify an offense of sexual assault.”

The report read: “About 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, 2014, officers attached to the Vulnerable Person’s Unit were in receipt of a request from medical personnel at Victoria Hospital to witness the examination of a 61-year-old female.

“The officers proceeded to Victoria Hospital where they were introduced to this individual. At the time, she appeared to be in severe pain. She gave the officers certain information before the medical examination commenced. Based on discussions with the victim and medical personnel, the officers are yet to identify an offense of a sexual assault.  The matter is still the subject of investigation. The female is currently admitted in a stable condition at Victoria Hospital.

“Members of the public and media are asked to be mindful when disseminating information. It was reported in the media that an elderly female was allegedly brutally raped before verifying whether or not the police was investigating such report. As it stands, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force deals primarily with facts and not on the basis of speculation.”

Since the incident, residents of the old CDC apartments have been calling for increased security patrols in the area.

Meanwhile, members of the media are particularly anxious to know what police are investigating if there was no evidence “YET” of sexual assault and the reasons behind the hospitalisation of the woman.

Police are investigating the death of a middle-aged man from New Extension, Micoud.

Reports are that the body of 56-year-old Petus Thomas aka Shorty of Extension, Micoud, was found dead at his residence this morning.

Police sources say there are no signs of foul play. A post mortem examination this week will show the cause of death.

Two Choiseul families are claiming that skeletal remains found near a shack in that community this week may be that of men related to them who had gone missing for some time.

Chermain Ismael is convinced that the remains are that of her brother Kervin Phillip, who went missing since 2013. But a relative of “Manistess” Stephen is also claiming that the bones could be his. Stephen has been missing for a few years now.

However, a police source told Saint Lucia News Online (SNO) that they never received missing persons reports for either of the men.

The source, while emphatically stating that no confirmation has been made with regards to an identity, said investigations and the non-scientific evidence gathered so far point to the remains being that of Phillip. Investigations are continuing, the source said.

Ismael told SNO that she is confident that the remains are that of her brother since they were found near his home.

She explained that Phillip had lived in the area after converting to Rastafari and opted to live in isolation. Phillip wore dreadlocks.

“Before he used to build bed and chairs … and then he left and joined the Rastafari [movement] and he went to live down in the valley. He didn’t want to be close to any of his relatives. Sometimes I would meet him and I would call him and he would say that’s not his name…” she said.

She said he was the only person who lived in the area he was found.

However, Stephen’s relative said the remains seem to not be that of a “rasta guy.”

“The skeleton remains is believed to be that of my cousin who has been missing for a few years now. He was mentally unstable as no evidence of locks and teeth were found therefore cannot be the rasta guy,” the relative who preferred to remain anonymous said while later adding that her cousin Stephen had no teeth and was bald.

“My mom, who is his first cousin, said there is quite some controversy over that body down there,” the relative added.

A search was conducted for Stephen, but it was halted after efforts were exhausted. 

Stephen was reportedly last seen boarding a La Farge bus in 2006.

A 2008 silver Daihatsu Terios.

A Corinth woman is seeking the public’s assistance in finding her vehicle which was stolen last night (May 26) from her premises.

Virginia Auguiste told Saint Lucia News Online (SNO) that she last saw her silver 2008 Daihatsu Terios, registration number HG2129, at about 8:45 last night sometime before going to bed.

She said she had picked up the vehicle yesterday afternoon and parked it in her yard.

Auguiste was adamant that she locked the vehicle and has both keys for it in her possession. She said there were signs of broken glass or evidence of forced entry in the area where the vehicle was parked.

She explained that the stolen Terios was one of the vehicles she rents as part of her rental business.

She said she contacted the police at about 5 a.m. but as of late morning she had not gotten any feedback from them.

Auguiste said she is sure no friend or relative had used the vehicle and added that she has both keys for the stolen vehicle.

“I am wondering how they entered the vehicle, I have both keys,” she said.

“I hope I get my vehicle… every month I paying on a vehicle, paying insurance, putting tyres … and somebody can just come and just take the vehicle…”she stated, almost in tears.

The Choiseul Police are working with a family from Choiseul to determine whether the identity of human remains discovered in that community Monday afternoon (May 26) are that of their missing relative.

The remains were found outside a shack where 38-year-old Kervin Phillip lived, his family indicated. Phillip has been missing since 2013.

A press release from the police public relations office stated that DNA testing will be done to find out the identity of the skeleton. A resident of Caffiere, Choiseul found the skeleton in an isolated and forested area between Reunion and Caffiere, Choiseul, police said.

The skeleton was transported to the Victoria Hospital Mortuary.

Students of the Leon Hess Secondary School in class. Photo credit: easynetnow.com.

The police, principal and teachers of the Leon Hess Secondary School are now on high alert as they attempt to curb a group of bandits who have been robbing students of cellphones and other possessions near the school in the past few weeks.

According to Principal Rohan Lubon, the robberies are usually done at knife point in the afternoons, after students are dismissed from school.

Speaking to Saint Lucia News Online (SNO) on Wednesday, Lubon said that this is not the first time these incidents have occurred.

He pointed to another spate of robberies in the area some time ago, which also affected two other schools in the district – the St Joseph Convent and Entrepot Secondary School.

An increased police presence was instituted at these locations, and the robberies were brought to a halt. However, Lubon said that they recently resurfaced.

Fortunately, no one has been hurt, Lubon said. There were reports of four robberies on his students this month.

“The robberies are happening on a regular basis after school. They are targeting the children’s phones especially,” he said, adding that meetings have been held on a district level to discuss the matter.

“We have filed reports to the Marchand Police Station ….The persons who are robbing [the students] are pretty young guys. As a matter of fact, probably in their teens and early 20s. I, as the principal I have done my part to assist to the point where I was able to get pictures of those individuals to the police to be identified by some other students … Some of the students recognise some of these individuals from the neighborhood,” he added.

Lubon said that while he has seen an increased police presence in recent times, the robbers have become strategic in their actions. He explained that students are no longer being robbed immediately after school, but later in the afternoon about 3:30-4 p.m. after extra lessons or meetings.

“They are the ones who are usually targeted. [The robbers] do not come immediately after school. They wait until the crowd has subsided before they could attack the students. They usually produce weapons, mainly knives [and they] stick the knives at the children…”

Students have been cautioned to walk in groups, according to Lubon, “but even when they walk down in groups these [robbers] are fearless. As a matter of fact, one person approached seven students and he took phones from three of the students.”

Lubon said that staff has also advised students to wait on the compound for buses just as a precaution, but not all of them take heed. Some leave the school grounds to wait under trees and corners and become victims to the robberies.

“Some [students] may even deviate from the regular route instead of staying on the road and they take the back road and are targeted in those areas,” he added.

He said that while students sometimes don’t follow guidelines, it does not eliminate the fact that “a robbery is a robbery” and that it does not mean students should be violated.

The principal took the opportunity to note that the school is doing all it can to stop the problem. He pointed out that security personnel at the institution have been patrolling daily and if a robbery is reported, teachers sometimes try to get into their vehicles to chase the robbers but “there is only so much you can do.”

“So it’s a matter of more police presence, that is what we really need and when those persons are identified especially when we assist by providing photos … we just need that to be expedited in terms of getting those individuals,” he told SNO.

He lauded the Marchand Police for being very cooperative in dealing with the matter.

“They do their best. As soon as they are called, they are usually at my school in no time. So they are trying but those guys doing the robbing are very smart. They come at certain times when they know they police have already made their rounds or they go somewhere else and they target the students away from the school,” he said.

Lubon said that there were no robberies at the school for the first two school terms.

An 18-year-old male accused of having an unlawful sexual connection with a seven-year-old  girl in the community of Micoud last Thursday has been charged.

The teen, who according to reports is mentally-unstable, appeared before a magistrate and was remanded at the Bordelais Correctional Facility.

It is alleged that on May 22, the young man violated the child at a laundry in Micoud sometime after she went there to bathe, in order to get ready for school.

Reports are that the child was approached by the 18-year-old and told to give him a hug as it was his birthday.

The child refused and attempted to run out of the bathroom but the young man grabbed her and had anal sex with her.

That incident has left the entire community in shock. The alleged perpatrator was reportedly beaten before being given up to police. He was charged with unlawful sexual connection.

Participants of the First Responders Training.

PRESS RELEASE - Forty-two officers from four government agencies, namely the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Customs and Excise Department, Bordelaise Correctional Facility and the Fire and Emergency Services are now equipped to perform first responder duties before the arrival of investigators to the scene of a crime. 

The Regional Security System (RSS) Training Institute recently conducted a Crime Scene First Responder one-week training course at the Police Force Academy located at La Toc, Castries.

For Assistant Commissioner of Police and Director of Training with the RSS Yvonne Alexander, the achievement was pivotal to the mandate of the RSS.

Participants.

“I am extremely pleased with the help of the Government of Canada. They have been assisting us so we can meet the changing needs of the RSS. The RSS has continued to conduct a series of courses in 2014. Over 120 individuals have been trained and certified as Crime Scene First Responders, from various islands,” Alexander noted.

Commissioner of Police Vernon Francois commended the participants at the closing ceremony, noting the wisdom of the course organisers in engaging other participants to train alongside the police.

“Other agencies have a role to play and it is important to engage these other agencies. We have a number of cases which depend on physical evidence, so it is very important to undertake this particular training in this area of law enforcement.”

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Security Agosta Degazon also commended the initiative and thanked the RSS for their continued support and stewardship within the sub–region.

The closing ceremony took place on Friday, May 23, 2014.

One of the tools stolen from Patrick Noel’s container was a Hausfeld air compressor.

A mechanic is lamenting the loss of over $87,000 worth of tools and equipment following a break-in at his 20-foot storage container in Beausejour.

Patrick Noel, who lives in Corinth, told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that thieves targeted his container between Saturday and about 2 a.m. Monday.

The items missing include a blue Hausefeld air compressor, a pressure washer, Weedeater grass trimmer, a small welding set and an assortment of different mechanical tools.

Most of these tools were used for Noel’s work.

The mechanic said that police have been investigating the matter. No one has been arrested yet.

Noel would like anyone with information about the theft to contact him at 7153235 or the Gros Islet Police at 456 3830.

Bordelais Correctional Facility.

PRESS RELEASE - During the month of May, officers of the Bordelais Correctional Facility (BCF) benefited from two profoundly relevant training initiatives.

Four officers recently attended a Mock Prison Riot Training Course in Moundsville, West Virginia, USA from May 4-7, 2014.

The course was sponsored by the United States Government under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative.

According to Director of the Bordelais Correctional Facility, this course was specifically requested to provide training for the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) at the Correctional Facility.

The training served to reinforce the skills that the team learned in February 2013, during the Emergency Response Techniques Training Course, which had been conducted by the Rhode Island Department of Corrections at the Bordelais Correctional Facility.

The officers who attended the training are: Correctional Officer III Nita Prospere, Correctional Officer III Lee Willie, Correctional Officer III Sanjay Paul and Correctional Officer II Ronald Charles.

The Mock Prison Riot Training was conducted at the recently decommissioned West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia. The venue allowed for on-site tactical training under real-world prison conditions which allowed the deployment of technologies and less lethal munitions. The four officers that represented Saint Lucia at the training are team leaders within the Special Operations Response Team (SORT).

The SORT is a tactical team at the Bordelais Correctional Facility with the responsibility for Perimeter Security, Escorting Inmates to court and medical appointments, Shake Down Searches of Inmates and staff, Force Cell Extraction of Inmates and Disturbance Control.

The location of the facility demands a well trained on site tactical team that is self-sufficient and capable of maintaining its security. This Mock Prison Riot Training has provided the team with the knowledge to develop a customized Riot Standard Operating Procedure (RSOP) for the Bordelais Correctional Facility.

The newly trained team leaders are now preparing work plans for the training of other SORT members and regular line staff officers.

Additionally, the following listed officers attended the Crime Scene First Responders Course (CSFR) which was conducted at the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force’s Training Academy by the Regional Security System (RSS) during the period Monday, May 19 – Friday, May 23, 2014: . Correctional Officer II (Cpl) Altius Harris, Correctional Officer II (Cpl) Andrel Valcin and Correctional Officer II (Cpl) Blaisedon John.

A search is underway for a 13-year-old girl who went missing this weekend.

Serena Cox, who resides in Beausejour, Gros Islet, was last seen at about 7 p.m. on Friday, May 30, wearing “a white cami and red and white PJ shorts”, according to a guardian who requested anonymity.

Serena has been living with her guardians since April following the death of her mother from liver failure.

“Social services entrusted her in our care,” the guardian said.

The matter was reported to the police.

Persons with information about Serena’s whereabouts can call 486-7879.