Dead: Thaddeus Jules

PRESS RELEASE – Police are investigating a fatal accident which occurred on Saturday, April 9, 2016 about 12:55 a.m. in Rodney Bay, Gros-Islet.

Motorcycle registration number PK 1352 driven by 26 year old, Kendal Thaddeus Jules of Corinth, Gros-Islet was travelling in a southern direction when it run-off the pitch surface of the Rodney Bay/Gros-Islet Highway.

As a result, the motorcycle went into a nearby drain and collided with a small foot bridge. Jules was transported to the Victoria Hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

A post-mortem is scheduled for Monday, April 11, 2016.

This is the fourth fatal accident for 2016.

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Bandits broke into the George Charles Secondary School Tuesday morning, but not before tying up the security guard and beating him.

Reports are that the men (the numbers unknown) broke into several departments and offices, where they stole computers and other items from the school.

The security guard was admitted to hospital, and the school has been dismissed for the day.

Chief Education Officer, Marcus Edward, confirmed with St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that the incident did occur, but said he is awaiting a full report from the principal’s office about the details.

However, Edward said based on preliminary reports, severe damages were made to doors of various departments, including the teachers’ staff room, the school kitchen and the canteen.

Several items were also stolen from these offices, but it is not yet clear how many items were stolen.

The education ministry official also confirmed that a decision was taken at 8:30 a.m. to dismiss school for the day for two reasons, one being the robbery, and the other reason; is the school was set to be dismissed at noon today, to allow teachers and students to attend the principal’s mother funeral.

Police officials are currently at the school conducting their investigations.

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(CRIMINAL CODE OF SAINT LUCIA 2008)

339. PREVENTING OR DISTURBING ELECTION BY FORCE, THREATS, CRIME

A person who attempts to prevent, obstruct, or disturb any public election by any kind of force, violence, or threats, or by any act which is a crime punishable under this Code, is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 10 years.

340. VOTING OR OFFERING TO VOTE UNLAWFULLY

A person who votes or offers to vote at any public election at which he or she knows that he or she is not entitled or qualified to vote, is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for one year.

“We, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force would like to encourage the citizenry to read and study the laws which governs our society. Never forget that knowledge is power”.

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Two men believed to be in their 20’s have been arrested for questioning in relation to a series of kidnapping that have taken place over the past several weeks in Vieux Fort.

Reports are that the duo were arrested on Tuesday at Sarrot, and are assisting the police with investigations.

The Police Press Office has said in a press statement that two persons were arrested on March 14, 2016 in connection with the homicide of 52 year old, Francis Cyrillien, of La Guerre, Babonneau.

It is not clear if these two persons were released or adds to the two that were arrested Tuesday.

Francis and a female were kidnapped on March 12 and taken to the Bois Chadon Beach in Beanfield Vieux Fort, where he was killed and tied to a tree.

The female was stripped naked and also tied to a tree. She, however, managed to free herself after the attackers left and raised an alarm.

Another man in his 50’s was recently attacked by two armed men, robbed of his cash and valuables and tied to a tree.

His vehicle was later found near the old runway in Vieux Fort.

It is believed that the same persons may be responsible for both incidents.

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The seven-year-old Babonneau boy who was allegedly attacked and beaten by a 15-year-old male on April 8, is recuperating from his injuries, relatives have said.

St. Lucia News Online (SNO) understands that the boy could be released from hospital soon. However, he still has some difficulty chewing his food, because of his injuries.

The Babonneau youth is also walking, but he continues to experience severe headaches.

The child’s aunt, Lisetta Monrose, is reported in the media as saying that the alleged perpetrator is allowed to go about his daily life freely and no seems to care about her nephew’s condition.

The woman said she would like to see justice served in the matter, and the teenager arrested, because her nephew has positively identified him as the person who allegedly assaulted him.

Initial reports indicated that the older male made what relatives described as an “indecent proposal” to the injured boy, and the latter promised that he would tell his mother.

In an effort to stop him from doing so, the older male proceeded to allegedly attack the seven-year-old, by lashing him several times to the head with the use of a wood.

He was taken to Victoria Hospital, where he remains a patient.

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A woman who was allegedly chopped by her common-law husband, has decided not to file charges against him, a police official has confirmed.

The Piaye woman who is in her 50’s, had claimed her husband chopped her on her forehead, around 7 p.m. (April 8), with the use of a cutlass.

However, the man claimed that the woman is mentally ill and she did it to herself.

He was arrested shortly after the incident and placed at the Laborie Police Station.

The man was released after the legal detention period, following a request by the woman not to charge him.

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* NOT the actual person.

A single mother of Micoud was given the shock of her life, when she took her ill 11-year-old daughter to the doctor on Monday, and was told that the child is five months pregnant.

According to a relative, the child complained of not feeling well and was taken to the hospital. It was then that an ultrasound revealed that she was with child.

The source told St Lucia News Online (SNO) that the child comes from a broken home, which lacks parental supervision, citing that this might have been the reason for the issue at hand.

“The mother is hardly ever around, if ever. She has recently gotten a job and is away a lot. The child is usually left in the care of her 16-year-old sister.”

The source further revealed that the individual who might be responsible for allegedly causing her pregnancy, admitted to having sex with the minor.

The grade six student also admitted to allegedly having sex with the 17 year old, the relative said.

“The boy is claiming, however, that he is not the father of the child. That is the rumor…that she has been very sexually active, because the mother is never around,” SNO was told.

The source disclosed that the mother is disturbed by the entire situation, and will most likely press charges against the boy, who lives in the same neighborhood as the girl.

The matter has been reported to the Human Services Department and the police. The family was asked to visit the Human Services Department on Friday.

The girl claims that she was allegedly threatened by the boy, since the issue became known, and has since been removed from the community and placed to live someplace else.

SNO also spoke with the child’s sister on Thursday, who said that the police are searching for the boy. She declined to give any further details about the incident, stating that the family is allowing the police to do their job.

While neighbours are shocked, they are equally baffled by the fact that the mother claims she was not aware that her child is pregnant, even though her stomach is visibly high.

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Former Health and Human Services Minister Sarah Flood Beaubrun.

News about an 11-year-old girl from Micoud being five months pregnant has raised many eyebrows and started a nationwide debate about who is at fault.

But former Health, Human Services, Family Affairs and Gender Relations Minister, Sarah Flood-Beaubrun, believes that the root of the problem lies in sexual abuse of minors on Saint Lucia and calls for a ‘zero tolerance’ approach towards the issue.

Flood-Beaubrun said a very serious crime has been committed and the full weight of the law must be brought to bear on the perpetrator, and the child should receive the care she needs.

The former minister noted this case highlights more glaringly that there have been too many cases of rape and sexual abuse of children and adults being committed here.

She said sexual abuse of minors is prevalent, and it is important to deal with this case, but asserted that it is also important to deal with the cases that are not brought to light.

Zero tolerance

“There has to be zero tolerance and it must mean zero tolerance. The age of consent is 16, and there are so many cases that we know of where children: 14, 15, 13 are impregnated and it is not dealt with as a criminal offense and these cases never see the light of day. This needs to be addressed as well. It has to be made clear that that is the standard that society has set and we will accept nothing less.”

While some persons have already criticized the mother, blaming her for not recognizing that her child was pregnant, the former Human Services Minister said while parents would like to be around their children all the time, it is sometimes physically impossible.

“I don’t think we could necessarily blame a parent, but as adults, it is our responsibility to look after children whether or not it is your child. Every adult, needs to recognize that children are vulnerable and have to be protected. The state have to ensure also that if children are not protected, it has its wheels well-oiled, so it can step in and help children and the whole society must know, so people will understand that there are consequences if children are violated and these consequences are harsh.”

Highly sexualised society

But while Flood-Beaubrun stressed the need for society to play its part by ensuring that children are protected, she noted Saint Lucia is a “highly sexualized” society.

“Let’s be honest about it, sex is everywhere. Children are sexualized in the way they dress. We have to talk about it. And parents must take responsibility for that,” she stated.

Some parents, she said, dress their girl children in an inappropriate manner. And mothers in particular must instill the values of “modesty in their children, both boys and girls.”

“I am not suggesting that anyone has a right to violate anyone, because of how that person is dressed. Certainly a child should never be looked at in a seductive manner by anybody. Anyone who does that is sick and not only need to be put behind bars, but need psychological help.”

However, Flood-Beaubrun is of the view that this is a factor that leads to some of the sexual abuse, rape and sexual violence that continues to plague society.

She said, “Sex is the order of the day, where it is sold, promoted, used in advertisement. And women are seen as sex objects and that needs to change. Unless we as a society recognize that it is a problem, and we take ownership of it, we will have women being treated as sex objects.”

Flood-Beaubrun recognized that the Human Services Department has been understaffed and has been operating with limited resources for a number of years, but stressed that government must not sit by idly and allow more of these cases to fester, before something is done to address the shortfalls within that Department.

“Human Services needs to be staffed and resourced, so they can deal with these cases not only as a crisis management approach, but we can identify children who are at risk and interventions can be made before the situation reaches a crisis….A lot of these cases we can foresee the children at risk, and nothing is done or nothing can be done because of a lack of resources. So there is an issue to be addressed here, in terms of providing adequate resources,” she added.

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Bordelais Correctional Facility

Executives of the Correctional Welfare Association, on Thursday, met with National Security Minister, Victor La Corbiniere, in an effort to resolve issues affecting their members.

The association had put their employers on notice about the transportation issues they were being faced with, indicating that they would be forced to take action within 14 days if the matter persist.

After a sit-down at the minister’s office, the executives explained that they were satisfied with the outcome, stating that the minister had given all assurances that the issues discussed will be dealt with.

Association Vice President, Clinton Edward, said while a definite time frame was not agreed upon the minister has promised to deal with the issues and the association is taking him at his word.

Edward had said while the Bordelais Correctional Facility (BCF) is mandated to provide transportation for its employees, the current buses are in bad condition and continues to break down.

The association official recalled that a bus carrying a full load of employees to the BCF, broke down in Praslin, which they view as a serious threat to their members.

Edward said the matter was brought to the attention of the management of BCF, but nothing was done to address the issue. Instead, they have been transporting employees in vehicles made for prisoners.

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Human Rights Activist and Attorney-at-Law Mary Francis.

Human Rights Activist and Attorney-at-Law, Mary Francis, has described the case involving an 11-year-old girl being pregnant, as ‘outrageous,’ calling for a full investigation.

Francis told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) on Friday that the 11-year-old may not have developed enough for child bearing and that is another issue that has to be looked at carefully.

The attorney said the fact that the child still have to attend school and deal with all the emotional stress is upsetting for her, because a child her age should not have to go through that.

“It is a problem we have to address in our communities. We have to focus on the men, so that they can get the help that is required,” Francis remarked.

The Micoud child, who is a grade six student, was confirmed pregnant on Monday, following a visit to the hospital.

It is alleged that a 17-year-old boy who lives in the same community, allegedly had sex with her and may be the person responsible for her pregnancy.

The boy could face criminal charges.

The matter is being investigated by the police.

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Mary Francis

Saint Lucians should be blamed for the delayed response to the IMPACS report, which linked police to alleged extra-judicial killings between 2009-2011, Human Rights Activist Mary Francis has said.

In commenting on the recently released 2015 US Department of State Human Rights Report, Francis said the document has nothing new, as it again highlights the alleged police killings.

“We the people have to blame ourselves, because we got locked up in the partisan politics and we are not seeing past our noses and we could not be bothered,” she told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) on Monday.

Francis questioned if she were to call a meeting to organise a protest in relation to the slow response to the report, how much people would turn up, stating that Saint Lucians want the issue to become a ‘political football.’

“They expect the Americans ultimately to get it over and done with, and bring closure, but we have to also play our part. We are not playing our part, so it’s becoming a political football for both parties.”

The human rights activist also concludes that the integrity of the process has been undermined because so-called excerpts of the report has been allegedly published in the local press.

She said, “I have not heard anything from the government. The whole thing has become a farse because of our inaction.”

The United States which had used the incident to cut back on aid to Saint Lucia, highlighted in its 2015 human rights report, the long delays in investigating reports of unlawful police killings.

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354. VIOLENT DISORDER

(1) Where 3 or more persons present together use or threaten violence and their conduct taken together is such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his or her personal safety, each of the persons using or threatening violence commits the offence of violent disorder.

(2) A person commits the offence of violent disorder only if he or she intends to use or threaten violence or is aware that his or her conduct may be violent or threaten violence.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1)—

(a) it is immaterial whether or not the 3 or more persons use or threaten unlawful violence simultaneously; and

(b) no person of reasonable firmness need be, or be likely to be present at the scene.

(4) An offence of violent disorder may be committed in a private or public place.

(5) A person who commits the offence of violent disorder is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment of 5 years.

“We, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force would like to encourage the citizenry to read and study the laws which governs our society. Never forget that knowledge is power”.

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Human Rights Activist, Mary Francis, has said that government should not have any major influence on the local police force and police officials should not be used as ‘political weapons’.

Francis comment comes in light of the recent US 2015 Human Rights Report, which highlights the abuse of power by police on Saint Lucia, who in some cases never face prosecution.

The outspoken attorney said when political parties assume office, “the government of the day always have the police underneath their heel and that has been going on.”

“Those things have to stop. That is not the role of the police in a democratic society, to be controlled by the government of the day,” Francis told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) on Monday.

While admitting that some steps have being taken to address the issue, Francis noted that only came about as a result of the consequences of Operation Restore Confidence and the IMPACS report.

She noted that since the completion of the report, there has been a shakeup at the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF), where a few senior police officials have been sent on early retirement.

“So we are beginning to see signs that things are changing, but we all have to remain vigilant. But the tradition has been there and people have been killed in the past and there was no inquest.”

However, the US report also revealed that there have been complaints of physical abuse of prisoners by police and prison officers, and that a number of other complaints have been filed against the police.

Francis said it has been a long standing issue in Saint Lucia, stating that she recently came across a 1985 Crusader Newspaper article, where George Odlum talked about police brutality and killings.

She said the police should be held accountable for their wrongdoings and citizens should not be afraid to stand up for their rights.

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St. Lucia police during a patrol. * Photo credit: Telesurv.

The 2015 US Department of State Human Rights Report has highlighted a number of human rights violations in Saint Lucia, the most serious being the long delays in investigating reports of unlawful police killings.

The report highlighted the delay in prosecutions of the officers implicated in the IMPACS report.

It also said, “The investigators completed the report, but it has not been made public.”

The report which was recently released also states that Saint Lucia has issues when it comes to abuse of suspects and prisoners by the police, and continued postponements of trials and sentencing.

It said although the government took limited steps to prosecute officials and employees who committed abuses, the procedure for investigating police officers was lengthy, cumbersome, and often inconclusive.

During 2015, citizens filed a number of complaints against the police, most of which were for abuse of authority.

It noted that while the DPP is responsible for filing charges in such cases, the DPP was unable to monitor their progress due to limited resources.

“Although the government sometimes asserted that it would launch independent inquiries into allegations of abuse, the lack of information created a perception among civil society and government officials of impunity for the accused officers,” it further added.

Other human rights problems included violence against women, child abuse, and discrimination against persons based on their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

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Police Officer Kervin Raymond (r).

PRESS RELEASE – St Lucia has been placed in a strong position to handle a Chemical attack, after St Lucia Police and Fire Officers completed extensive training in South America this week.

Police Officer Kervin Raymond and Fire Officer David Antoine both completed a three phase advanced training program in handling Chemical Warfare Agents and Incidents involving Toxic Industrial Chemicals, in Colombia on the 8th April 2016.

The training which was officially labeled “The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (O.P.C.W) Basic, Advance and Final Exercise Training Course” was held in Brazil (23-27 March 2015), Argentina (20-25 April 2015) and Colombia (4-8 April 2016).

The course which was very intensive and consisted of grueling practical exercise and simulations, was co-organized by the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW and the Brazilian National Authority to the CWC at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

There was also close coordination with the Brazilian Ministry of Defense, The Argentine National Authority to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the support of the Ministry of Security, namely the Cadet School of the Federal Police and the Government of Colombia with direct engagement of the National Directorate of Fire-fighters of Colombia (DNBC), and the Colombian National Police.

Through different field exercises of growing complexity, the officers reaffirmed and consolidated acquired knowledge and skills in the use of individual protective equipment, reconnaissance, detection, sampling, decontamination and response to attacks with chemical warfare agents or incidents involving toxic industrial chemicals.  The course also provided extensive training in the practice of the incident command system approach.

As a result of this training, a new reference team of 30 first responders from 15 States Parties from the GRULAC region will contribute to the strengthening of their response capabilities through their assimilation into the national response teams, spreading the obtained knowledge and skills nationally and regionally, and through their integration into the growing regional network of OPCW trainees under the umbrella of Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The training also built on the continuous discussion and exchange of information and experiences that contributed to the strengthening of the team spirit of this new group of trainees. Contingency planning issues were addressed by means of a table-top exercise.

Training of this nature is important as the imminent threat of Chemical Weapons to cause mass casualties by Terrorist is a present danger. Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons attacks constitute a sizeable portion of terrorism risk. This risk has become a growing concern as there is evidence that the insecurity in the Middle East has emboldened terrorists’ groups to acquire and develop such weapons.

The participants of the training came from Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Saint Lucia. The officers have both expressed high level of satisfaction with the training and an even higher level of confidence as they look forward to their new roles in the respective organizations.

Fire Officer David Antoine (r)

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* NOT the actual person.

A senior police official has confirmed that the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) is actively investigating the incident involving an 11-year-old grade six student from Micoud, who was discovered five months pregnant.

However, the officer did not provide any further information about the case, except to say that the police is now handling the matter, and the child is in the care of the Human Services Department.

Another police officer said based on the sensitivity of the case, the police will not be issuing any statements to the press, nor will they divulge any information pertaining to this matter.

However, the officer did point out that the child’s mother has been in constant contact with the police.

St. Lucia News Online (SNO) could not reach the Director of Human Services, Elizabeth Lewis, for a comment today. SNO, which broke the story, spoke with the director last week who confirmed the incident.

A relative also confirmed with this publication on Monday, that the child remains in the care of Human Services Department. However, the boy who allegedly had sex with the child is going about his normal life, the relative said.

Former Human Services Minister, Sarah Flood-Beaubrun, said the full weight of the law must be brought to bear on the perpetrator, and the child should receive the care she needs.

The former minister told SNO that this case highlights more glaringly that there have been too many cases of rape and sexual abuse of children and adults being committed here.

She said sexual abuse of minors is prevalent, and it is important to deal with this case, but asserted that it is also important to deal with the cases that are not brought to light.

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GRANTHAN JOURNAL UK – A man who carried out a brutal attack on an opposing player during a game of paintball was today jailed for nine years.

Nathan Joseph, 22, of no fixed address, but formerly of Medway Avenue, Grantham, turned his gun on an opponent and swung it like a “baseball bat” after he was shot himself during a game at the Ancaster Karting and Paintball Centre.

The attack left his victim with multiple skull fractures and in a coma for five days, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

Jon Dee, prosecuting, said Joseph knocked his opponent to the floor with a first blow to his forehead.

Joseph, who had earlier boasted “we do things for real in London, we’ll slice you,” then continued the attack while the 30-year-old man lay unconcious on the floor – repeatedly striking him to the head with the butt of his paintball gun.

Joseph was only prevented from continuing the attack by staff and other players and fled before police arrived at the karting and paintball centre in Ancaster.

The court heard Joseph had signed in under a false name after attending the centre with a friend and two youths. Two other groups including a stag party were also at the centre.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY

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Lenny Nerrius

Nineteen-year-old Lenny Nerrius was arrested and charged for aiding and abetting in connection with the murder of Joseph Herman.

Herman was the victim a of deadly brawl in the Castries market on Dec. 31, 2015. He succumbed to injury on New Year’s Day, becoming the first recorded homicide for 2016.

Melissa Joseph is the murder accused, facing a possible life sentence if convicted.

However, police investigations into the homicide led to the arrest of the alleged teenage accomplice, some three months after the incident. If convicted, Nerrius could incur a similar prison sentence to that of Joseph.

The teen’s sister has described her brother as “a young boy who don’t normally look for trouble”.

Meanwhile, the spouse of the deceased, Jacky Norbert, remains unrelenting in their quest for justice.

“I just want justice for my boyfriend,” Norbert said.

Herman leaves behind one child.

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Nathan Chassang and Davia Michelle Hypolite in happier times.

A man accused of stabbing his girlfriend in Monchy, Gros-Islet around noon yesterday and who later consumed a poisonous substance has been confirmed dead.

Nathan Chassang, aka Shawn, 33, of Monchy died this morning at the Victoria Hospital.

He was taken to hospital on Wednesday after consuming the poisonous substance.

The woman he stabbed, Davia Michelle Hypolite, who spoke with St. Lucia News Online (SNO) from her hospital bed this morning, said doctors informed her of his death.

Asked how she feels, Hypolite said, “It is what it is. I’m not the one to be blamed. I did not ask him to drink the gramoxone.”

The 19-year-old woman who was stabbed several times in her back told SNO that Chassang made several attempts to drink the poison on Wednesday morning, and had already mixed it with cold water and bitters.

The woman said she was constantly abused by him and had decided to end the relationship, something he said couldn’t happen and was not ready to deal with.

“I went and tell his grandmother, look Shawn want to drink poison and I left. When I went back in the house that is when I was stabbed,” she explained.

Chassang leaves to mourn his 11-year-old son from a different relationship.

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Davia Michelle Hypolite

A woman who was stabbed several times in the back by her boyfriend, who she shared a relationship with for over one year, said he was very abusive and insecure.

Davia Michelle Hypolite, 19, who spoke with St. Lucia News Online (SNO) from her hospital bed today (Thursday) said that she was about the end the relationship when she was attacked.

“I told him, it not making any sense to be in an abusive relationship and we both have to go our separate ways. And he told me if he don’t have me, nobody can have me,” she said.

Hypolite recalled that she and her now dead boyfriend, Nathan Chassang, had an alteration on Saturday (April 16) when she decided not to return home with him, but instead sleep over at her cousin.

When she got home the next day, Hypolite said Chassang apologized to her and said everything will be ok. He also took blame for the fight they had. However, on Wednesday, when she decided to confront him about the constant abuse and tell him that they should end their relationship, he attacked her.

“When I turned my back heading towards the room, I felt the first stab in my back. I tried to rush through the back door and he held me. He was going for my belly, but I gave him my back,” she recounted.

The Monchy woman was stabbed four times in the back. A knife was used to stab her the first time, while a pair of scissors was used to stab her three other times.

“I tried to escape, but he placed his hands on my throat. When I couldn’t breathe anymore, I pretended to be dead. He held my hands…he brought it up and drop it, and said oh shucks she is dead.”

The woman was left on the bleeding. But people went to her assistance minutes later. She was taken to hospital around 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Hypolite told SNO that she was being abused from day one of the relationship and kept it a secret. And even when her relatives found out about the abuse, she denied it.

“What can I say? I don’t like speaking to people because when you go and tell them something, they would go back and tell. I’m not that type of person. I rather be secretive and that’s it,” she told SNO.

Chassang, 33, died this morning at the Victoria Hospital. He was taken to hospital on Wednesday after consuming a poisonous substance, following the stabbing incident.

The victim’s injuries

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