Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony.

Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony has dismissed a British Foreign Office request for him to waive the death penalty in the case of murdered hotelier, Oliver Gobat, the Times of London has reported.

The prime minister told the British newspaper that he does not agree with the proposal made by the British Government and deems it “improper.”

Dr. Anthony was quoted by the newspaper saying that Whitehall’s stipulation to send a squad only if St Lucia guarantees that it will not see capital punishment for the killers is illogical.

In explaining the reason for his statement, the prime minister said no government can get into the business of bargaining as to the outcome of a criminal case.

“The British Government sometimes forgets that we have a sharper, cleaner idea of the separation of powers than they do in the UK and we must abide by the powers bequeathed to us,” Dr. Anthony said.

“Their preoccupation with hanging is very misplaced. Their own Privy Council makes sure that the death penalty never gets carried out,” Anthony also told the Times of London.

While he declared his position on the matter, Dr. Anthony said he still supports the request made by Oliver Gobat’s parents for British officers to support with the investigation.

He however admitted that this particular crime was committed with “considerable sophistication.”

A British parliamentarian recently called on the United Kingdom (U.K) government to assist with the investigations into the murder of Oliver Gobat.

The Conservative Member of Parliament for Esher and Walton, Dominic Raab, made the request at a recent sitting of the British parliament.

The British Foreign Minister James Duddridge said he is awaiting a response from the St. Lucian government, on whether they will agree not to apply the death penalty.

The UK cannot examine cases where a suspect could face the death penalty. Oliver’s parents, Helen and Theo Gobat have been pushing for foreign assistance.

The family has already employed a forensic team from the UK to assist with the investigation. This was made possible through a fund created by friends of Oliver.

The reward offered for information on his murder was recently doubled. The family is now offering a £120,000 or EC$508,000 reward.

Choc Bay

Highly-placed police sources have confirmed that a young woman was raped and robbed while with her boyfriend at the Choc beach  in the north of the island on Wednesday.

The women, said to be in her early 20s, was on the beach with her boyfriend in the evening hours when they were approached by three armed, masked men.

The men reportedly robbed the couple then raped the young woman. It is not yet clear if the rape occurred in the presence of the boyfriend. The police source would not confirm reports that the boyfriend fled before the rape took place.

No one has been arrested for the incident.

A 34-year-old mechanic died after he was shot by a licensed firearm holder while allegedly breaking into a vehicle in Soufriere minutes after midnight, reliable sources have told St. Lucia News Online (SNO).

Claudinus Dominic, also known as ‘Irie Lion’ and ‘Te Peter’, ran and collapsed near Captain Hooks restaurant and bar after he was shot in a residence off the Soufriere-Castries Highway at about 12:20 a.m.

A source said the gunshot appeared to have entered Dominic’s shoulder and exited through one of his armpits.

The victim reportedly operated a tire shop near a used car parts business at the top of Church Street, Soufriere.

A resident told SNO that the community has been plagued by a series of burglaries and vehicle break-ins.

The resident also said the victim is alleged to have previously broken into the home and vehicle of the licensed firearm holder on several occasions, and is suspected of “robbing a car next door” two weeks ago.

Red 2005 Toyota Corolla, registration number PC7380, was stolen last night in Marisule, Gros Islet. The stolen car’s paint is lightly faded. If anyone has any information please call 716-0082 / 712-3454.

It was also reported that the intruder/s went into the house whilst the family was asleep and stole three Kindles and two cell phones. The car key was taken from the main bunch of keys and then used to remove the vehicle from the premises.

Jn Pierre

Police are on the scene of a homicide in Augier, Vieux Fort.

Reports are that Dimaya Jn Pierre, about 19/20 years old, died after he sustained severe lacerations, including a wound to the neck, during an altercation with a known individual in an area called “Carteh”.

The incident occurred between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

A relative said the victim is not originally from Augier but he was staying there with his girlfriend.

St. Lucia News Online will provide more information as soon as it becomes available.

PRESS RELEASE – About 8:15 p.m. on Sunday, December 7, 2014, officers attached to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Southern Division received a report of chopping at Augier, Vieux Fort.

On arrival at the scene, the officers observed a young male lying in a ravine with apparent chop wounds to the body. This individual was identified as 19-year-old Nemiah Jn Pierre of Augier.

Jn Pierre was pronounced dead on the scene by a medical practitioner and was transported to the Rambally’s Funeral Palour. A post mortem examination is scheduled for a later date.

No one has been arrested in relation to this homicide. The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force is appealing to anyone who has information that can assist with their investigation of this homicide, to contact the Criminal Investigations Department at telephone numbers 456 3926 or 456 3924.

PRESS RELEASE - Officers attached to the Soufriere Police Station are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of 34-year-old, Claudius Dominique Alexander of Fond Beniere, Soufriere. The report was received about 11:50 p.m. on Saturday, December 6, 2014.

It is alleged that a 73-year-old licensed firearm holder of Fond Beniere, Soufriere was doing a routine security check of his compound, as he has had two prior break-ins to his taxi omnibus during the course of a week. During that time, he observed a male entering into his yard and walking towards his parked omnibus. The male used a key and gained entry into the locked vehicle.

It is also alleged that the licensed firearm holder, fired a single gunshot in the direction of Alexander hitting him. Alexander fled the scene and was later discovered lying on the road at Fond Beniere by a passerby who then summoned the police.

Alexander was transported to the Soufriere Hospital where he was pronounced dead.  A post mortem examination is scheduled for a later date.

The licensed firearm holder is assisting police with investigations.

A man was robbed and beaten in Dacretin, Choiseul Monday evening, Dec. 8.

Reports are that the Caucasian man was robbed by three bandits of his cell phone and about $200 cash.

During the robbery, he was assaulted, sustaining a broken arm and bruises. He was treated at St. Jude Hospital and released.

The incident occurred between 6 p.m. and  8:30 p.m.

Details are sketchy at this time. It is not yet clear if the robbery was a home invasion or if he was accosted outside his home. The man’s nationality is not yet clear.

However, St. Lucia News Online will provide more information later this morning as it becomes available.

Members of the public are being urged to be vigilant, especially this festive season, following the attempted abduction of a teenage girl in Soufriere Monday evening, Dec. 8.

A reliable source told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that the incident occurred near the mini stadium in New Development between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The underage teen, who is the daughter of a police officer, was reportedly approached by a dark-coloured vehicle with more than one male on board.

“The vehicle pulled over and somebody opened the door and tried pulling her into the vehicle,” the source told SNO. “She managed to escape and run home.”

The source said young ladies should be warned that these incidents appear to be a trend during this time of the year, island-wide.

The source believes that the culprits are not from Soufriere.

The news comes days after SNO revealed the robbery and rape of a young woman on Choc beach by three armed, masked bandits. Her boyfriend was also robbed.

A male teacher from the Castries Comprehensive Secondary School has been asked to resign after school administrators found out that he was allegedly sexually involved with a student.

Reports reaching St. Lucia News Online (SNO) are that internal investigations have proved that the teacher was also in constant contact with the student via telephone and social media.

According to a reliable source, the teacher and student were having “sex talks” that may have possibly led to sexual intercourse between the two.

While the teacher did not deny nor confirm being sexually involved with the student, the school board received a resignation from the said teacher a few weeks back.

It is unclear whether the matter was reported to the police, or whether the teacher and student were questioned about these allegations.

PRESS RELEASE - Officers attached to the Choiseul Police Station are seeking the assistance of the public with the investigation of an aggravated burglary which occurred at Dacretin, Choiseul. The incident occurred about 6:15 p.m. on Monday, December 8, 2014.

It is alleged that three armed, masked men entered the premises of 47-year-old Jaco Reynik, of Dacretin, Choiseul. Reynik who was attacked by the men, sustained serious injuries and was transported to hospital.

As a result of the seriousness of his injuries, he had to be transferred overseas for medical treatment.

No one has been arrested in relation to this incident. If anyone has information that can assist the police with the investigation of this matter, they should contact the Choiseul Police Station at Telephone number 456 3635 or 999.

PRESS RELEASE - On Wednesday, December 10, 2014, Steve “Noopy” Jean of Georgeville, Castries turned himself in to officers attached to the Criminal Investigations Department, Castries.

In 2007, a Warrant of Arrest in the First Instance was issued in connection with the murder investigation of Elrie Louis of Cedars.

On Saturday, July 14, 2007, Elrie Louis sustained a gunshot wound whilst at Bois D’ Orange, Gros Islet and was transported to Victoria Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The police are continuing their investigations of this matter. Possible charges will be preferred against Jean at a later date.

PRESS RELEASE - A new report on interpersonal violence around the world shows that low- and middle-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have the highest homicide rates of any developing region, as well as the highest proportion of homicides committed with firearms.

The Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014, released today in Geneva, was published jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Development Program, and the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.

Among other findings, the report estimates that 165,617 deaths in developing countries of Latin America and the Caribbean were due to homicide, and three-quarters of these were carried out with firearms (data for 2012).

This translates into 28.5 homicides per 100,000 populations, more than four times the global homicide rate (6.7 per 100,000) and more than twice the rate of developing countries in Africa, which have the world’s second-highest regional homicide rate (10.9 per 100,000).

“As a group, developing countries in the Americas share the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of lethal interpersonal violence in the world,” said Dr. Marcelo Korc, Advisor on Sustainable Development and Human Security at the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).

“Many of our member countries are taking steps to address this violence, but it remains a huge challenge to implement effective prevention and treatment programs to lower these rates and reduce the tremendous suffering they represent.”

Among other findings about the Region of the Americas, the new report shows: The highest WHO-estimated homicide rates were in Honduras (103.9 per 100,000), Venezuela (57.6 per 100,000), Jamaica (45.1), and Belize (44.7).

The lowest homicide rates were in Canada (1.8 per 100,000), Antigua and Barbuda (4.4) and Chile (4.6).

The highest estimated rates of homicide by firearms were in Venezuela (90%), Guatemala (86%), Honduras (84%), Colombia and Panama (80%), and El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago (77%).

Firearms are also predominantly used in intimate partner homicides in the Americas. Both globally and in the Americas, 30% of ever-partnered women report having experienced physical or sexual violence, or both, at some point in their lives.

A higher proportion (76%) of countries of the Americas have national action plans to reduce violence than in any other WHO region. This includes 91% with plans to reduce child maltreatment, 86% with plans to reduce intimate partner and sexual violence, and 71% with plans to reduce youth violence.

All countries in the Americas have laws regulating firearms. However, less than two-thirds have special firearms control programs such as gun buy-backs or firearms collection and destruction programs.

To reduce levels of violence, the report recommends 18 “best buy” programs, including: programs to reduce the availability and harmful use of alcohol laws and programs to reduce access to firearms school-based programs to teach children and adolescents “life-skills” such as non-violent conflict resolution efforts to change gender norms that are supportive of violence against women programs to improve parenting in families at risk of violence public information campaigns to prevent elder abuse.

Twenty-one PAHO/WHO member countries in the Americas participated in the report, out of a total of 35 member countries.

“One of the conclusions that can be drawn from this report is that we continue to need more and better data on interpersonal violence, and this is true of the Americas as well as other regions,” said Korc. “It is critical to know the dimensions and specific characteristics of interpersonal violence to better inform policymaking and the design of effective plans and programs. To really work, plans have to be based on good data.”

PAHO, founded in 1902, is the oldest international public health organization in the world. It works with its member countries to improve the health and the quality of life of the people of the Americas. It serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of WHO and is part of the Inter-American system.

PRESS RELEASE - On Wednesday, December 10, 2014, a joint operation involving officers attached to the Drug and Special Services Unit was conducted at an apartment at Bonneterre, Gros Islet.

Upon entering the apartment, occupied by two Jamaican nationals, the officers observed a number of suitcases, tools and other contrabands.

A search was conducted of the building as well as its two occupants. During the search, the officers recovered six square slabs and two clear parcels containing white powdery substance believed to be cocaine.

Also, during the examination of the suitcases the officers recovered an additional four clear plastic bags containing white powdery substance believed to be cocaine.

The Jamaican nationals who were later identified as 47-year-old Donald Sylvester Sinclair Chin, who resides at La Clery, Castries and 36-year-old Emile Rowe of St. Andrew, Jamaica were both arrested and taken into custody.

On Thursday, December 11, 2014, they were both charged for possession of a controlled drug and possession with the intent to supply a controlled drug.

They appeared before the First District Court in Gros Islet on Friday, December 12, 2014.

A 13-year-old female is now traumatised after she was nearly abducted by three men today (Dec. 12) close to the mini stadium in Soufriere.

A reliable source told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that the incident occurred at about noon.

The source said the teen told relatives that the three men were in a blue Corolla vehicle.

“One guy came out and pointed a knife at her and asked her to board the car. He reached for a gun and grabbed her, and at that point she stamped his feet and took off running,” the source said.

The source described this new development as very disturbing.

“We have guys in Soufriere that do bad things, but we don’t have abduction, rape and these kinds of crime here. To make it worst now, it’s not just something happening in the night, now it’s happening in broad day light,” the source added.

A similar incident occurred on Monday (December 8) in the same area, where an underage teen, who is the daughter of a police officer, was reportedly approached by a dark-coloured vehicle with more than one male on board.

“The vehicle pulled over and somebody opened the door and tried pulling her into the vehicle,” the source had told SNO. However, she managed to escape and run home.

The source said young ladies should be warned that these incidents appear to be a trend during this time of the year, island-wide. The source believes that the culprits may not be from Soufriere.

A young woman was recently robbed and raped on Choc beach by three armed, masked bandits.

Scene at a past street party in Gros Islet town.

Police are investigating a fight that broke out between a Caucasian man and a dread-locked man in Gros Islet town around midnight.

The incident reportedly occurred near the Lucian Peoples Movement (LPM) office during the popular Friday night street jam or “jump-up”.

An eyewitness told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that several people, including LPM leader Therold Prudent, helped to calm the situation before it escalated.

Police officers responded to the report and the dread-locked man was led away in handcuffs.

Several persons gave conflicting reports to SNO of how the fight transpired. All claimed to have seen the fight. Some said the Caucasian man punched the local because he was being harassed.

However, none of the reports have been officially confirmed by the police.

One woman said “both guys walked away from the street jam seeming to be friends when the white man was seen giving the rasta (the dread-locked local) a punch to his eye and the fight started”.

She explained: “They walked away from the crowd, the ras hand was around the white man then the white man punched him in his eye and the fight started. I was right there. The white man and the ras were walking together like buddies when the white man punched him. Is after the scuffle was settled someone asked the ras did he know the guy and he said no; no one knows what transpired in the crowd which had them walking away together then one hitting the other.”

Another person, claiming to have witnessed the fight, told SNO: “The white man hit him first just because the (St.) Lucian hold his hand for a talk….. I saw the white man hit him first right in front me.”

One man told SNO it was the dread-locked man who started the fight, throwing punches on the foreigner mercilessly as eyewitnesses called on him to stop.

The man explained that the altercation started over a “business” transaction in which the foreigner complained of being short-changed. He further alleged that the local tried to calm and convince the foreigner that he had already paid him, when the foreigner threatened to call the police. It was at that time the local attacked the foreigner and the fight started, the man alleged.

It was reported that at least two fights broke out at the street party between last night and this morning. Details on those incidents are not available, and it is not yet known if arrests were made.

Every Friday, the street party in Gros Islet town attracts hundreds of tourists and locals who dance to pulsating music in the streets and consume a variety of liquors and local cuisine.

Despite the history of small fights at the popular event, police officers usually patrol the venue and the event is branded as relatively safe and peaceful.

A woman who resides in Carielle, was attacked by two armed bandits last evening on her way home.

According to reports the woman had picked up two young men believed to be in their early twenties, from La Pansee Road, after they asked her for a drop to Carielle.

St. Lucia News Online (SNO) understands that the incident occurred at about 9:00.p.m on Monday.

The woman whose name is being withheld said she decided to stop for the young men, because she is aware of how difficult it is to get a bus, to travel to Carielle, especially during those hours.

However, on their way to Carielle, the men asked the woman to stop at Chase Gardens. One of them approached her and demanded that she pass over her valuables, while the other one who was still in the vehicle, placed a gun to her neck and threatened to shoot her.

The woman said she began wrestling with them, with hope that she will get to escape. Lucky enough, she was able to take off with a speed, since the engine was still on. One of the bandits that was still in the vehicle pitched out. The other bandit was already outside the vehicle.

When she arrived home, she recovered a metal piece that belonged to the gun they had in their possession. The matter has since been reported to the police. The woman said she is shaken up by the experience and is urging persons not to pick up strangers.

Police are conducting investigations into a report that an elderly woman was allegedly raped in Mon Repos over the weekend.

St. Lucia News Online (SNO) confirmed with police officials at the Micoud Police Station that the alleged victim is 91 years old. The police said they received the report at about 8:30.a.m on Sunday.

The matter was also reported to the Vulnerable Persons Team.

The elderly woman is currently undergoing medical examinations to confirm that she was raped.

Richard Dissimo has accused a male police officer of verbally and physically abusing him.

PRESS RELEASE - Reference to media reports published on Tuesday, December 16, 2014, alleging that a 65-year-old tourist was attacked by an officer, attached to the Marigot Police Station; the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force is yet to identify any formal reports made by anyone in relation to this matter.

The incident is alleged to have taken place at Marigot Beach on Monday, December 15, 2014. The RSLPF would like to remind the public that there is a procedure in place for dealing with matters involving the police. All concerns can be directed to the Police Complaints Unit, located on Brazil Street, Castries.

One of the bruises Frederick sustained during the scuffle with the minibus driver.

A Guyanese woman, who accused a Gros Islet minibus driver of attacking her on August 22, said a complaint was filed against her by the driver, for breaking his chain.

Audrey Fredericks told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) today that she received a call from a female police officer last evening, informing her that a complaint has been lodged with the Gros Islet Police Station against her by the said driver. The driver also plans to take her to court.

Fredericks said she is upset with the situation, because the police never took a statement from her and almost four months later, they are now calling to inform her of a complaint made against her.

According to her, the driver claims his chain is worth US$6,000. While she admitted to breaking the chain, in an attempt to get back her Samsung Galaxy phone, she said she doesn’t plan to pay any money for the broken chain.

Fredericks told SNO that when the incident happened, she was advised by the police to get a medical certificate, which she did. “They didn’t take a statement from me. They told me they will call me when they are ready for me to make a statement,” she explained.

She said she found it strange, but allowed the police to do their work. Two days after the incident, she decided to call again and was told the officer in charge of the case was not in. Since then, none of the police officers ever called her back to get a statement, until last night.

The Bois D’Orange resident said she called the station again this morning to air her concerns. Frederick said she was advised by a senior police officer, to make a formal complaint with the Police Complaints Department and the National Transport Board.

Fredericks said he feels victimised and will do all in her power to ensure that the authorities are aware of the situation. She is hopeful that some intervention can be made to have it resolved. Most importantly, however, she said she would like to see that minibus drivers treat passengers with respect.

Frederick was short of 25 cents, which caused a quarrel between her and the minibus driver. This later led to a scuffle between the two. She claims the driver bit her hand when she attempted to take her phone, which he took during the scuffle.

A formal complaint was also lodged with the National Council of Public Transportation and the Gros-Islet Mini Bus Owners Association.