The United Workers Party Women in Action (WIA) is concerned with the technical expertise and capacity of the Forensic Laboratory, in light of the many murders that remain unsolved to date.
Approximately Ten Million Dollars ($10,000.000) was spent on the construction and commissioning of equipping of what is a state of the art Forensic Laboratory.
WIA understands that after the contract of the Senior Forensic Scientists responsible for Crime Scene, Trace Evidence and Forensic Biology was terminated in January 2012, the contract of a visiting American Forensic Consultant was also discontinued.
The other scientist who was considered senior then proceeded on study and maternity leave, the Lab remains largely unmanned and idle except for the Director and two Junior Forensic Scientists who do not possess the necessary Case Work and Crime Scene Management expertise, to provide critical support to the Royal St. Lucia Police Force and the office of the Director of Public Prosecution which was the main reason for the establishment of the lab.
We accept that crime is a reality in this world. However, we ask the Prime Minister who has the ultimate responsibility for the safety and security of all citizens, along with Minister of National Security and the Minister of Health, how many more women must die without hope of resolution to their murder?
How long will the families of the women wonder “Is the murderer sitting amongst us?”
Is the government of the St. Lucia Labour Party going to allow murders to go unsolved because they have decided that affirmative action is the order of the day, even when it comes to the appointment of trained forensic scientists?
On behalf of the women and people of St. Lucia we are imploring the Prime Minister to speedily appoint trained and experienced scientists, even though he may have to import the expertise, to give the people of this nation some comfort with regards to crime management under the government of the St. Lucia Labour Party.