Incidences of sexual assault are on the increase in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Commissioner of Police Michael Charles says the assault of a 13-year-old girl last weekend is especially troubling.
“From our reports, a 13-year-old was walking along the Campden park public road and she was picked up by a black vehicle and taken somewhere and assaulted and was later returned,” Charles said on radio on Wednesday.
Police said in a press release earlier this week that they are investigating a report of sexual assault on a young female, which occurred between Campden Park and Pembroke.
Reports reaching I-Witness News are that a teenaged girl was found half-naked and unconscious in Campden Park on the weekend.
The police chief said that the incident is under investigation.
“We have a lot to be concerned [about], because the time this incident happen is around 4 p.m., according to the report.
“At 4 p.m., people are about to leave work, … and it is about this time that watchmen start to go to work, and nobody was able to see anything. These are causes for concern,” Charles said.
He said he has “no clear answer” why sexual assault is on the increase.
“We have some predators out there, and if you notice the age of the people who are being assaulted, they are minors,” Charles said.
“We just have to ask parents and guardians to be closer to the young females; don’t take chances; don’t let them out of your sight.
“There are a lot of predators out there and sometimes the predators are people they trust, friends of the family and so forth,” Charles further said.
Charles said that police have begun to compile a database of sex offenders.
“It is not fully developed but we think this is the way to go and that is the direction in which we are heading.”
He further said the Sexual Offence Unit will be launched soon.
The unit will initially comprise five members, mostly female, who have experience in dealing with sexual offences.
It seems the commissioner is very serious about his job. I am particularly pleased that the police is I taking the issue of sexual assault serious. He needs to go one step further and set up a special task force to deal with crimes of a sexual nature. The majority of police officers are very insensitive in the handling of these types of crimes. Crimes of sexual nature and domestic abuse requires special training.
I applaud the installation of a sexual assault unit. It’s long overdue.
.The shooting of Campden Park resident, 31-year-old electrician Alphanzo Weekes, who, police say, was shot by an unknown occupant of a car.
I dont want to make it sound like we are in a warzone, Charles said.
However, noting the nature of the shooting in Campden Park, he added,
I mean anything can happen. I dont want to sound alarming really.
Generally, citizens and visitors in St. Vincent are safe, but we have the odd occasion when people may just turn beasts for want of a better term and perpetrate these types of acts, he said.
From our reports, a 13-year-old was walking along the Campden Park public road and she was picked up by a black vehicle and taken somewhere and assaulted and was later returned, Charles said on radio on Wednesday.
Mr. Editor, I beg to submit that the possibility of the culture and rise of GANGS may be in SVG. Here are a few tips I received back in 2010 in Barbados when no one took this information seriously.
I want to submit these few tips of the MODUS OPERANDI of Gangs as it relates to the above mentioned crimes, which most persons are unaware of.
Most gangs are well organized and operate by a particular code.
The wannabees are the most dangerous as they are trying to prove themselves worthy of joining a gang. These are the ones who would shoot or kill or rape someone at random to prove how violent they are.
Potential new members required to kill someone at random, kill a rival gang member ( Bloods and Crips hate each other), commit a crime. Going to jail for such acts ensures certain bragging rights , respect in and out of prison -and rise in influence in gang.
At a later date I will submit more details about GANGS.