The First Ten Days - January 9, 2001

By Earl Bousquet

             We began the New Year, the new century, the new millennium, in trauma. The first ten days of 2001 have featured a people shocked by the barbaric attack at the cathedral having to live the daily nightmare of the bloody and fiery event, which left one dead, a dozen nursing major burns, hundreds suffering from post-traumatic stress and thousands wondering why it happened.

            Two men have been held and legal proceedings have begun against them. Christians are calling for vengeful justice. Some want blood. But the Catholic Church says it does not want to see the accused hang, as it remains steadfast in its position against capital punishment. The church says it’s prepared to forgive the sinners and instead hate the crime.

            As the legal proceedings against the two men began, the matter of their legal representation became a talking point in the media. The President of the St. Lucia Bar Association made it absolutely clear that under no circumstances would he accept a case to represent them. Given the level of public sentiments expressed, there were doubts that any local lawyer would want to take up their case.

Teary-eyed human rights lawyers appeared on TV pleading not guilty to charges they contributed to the boldness of today’s criminals by defending their rights and leaving their victims defenseless.

            Two lawyers have so far raised concerns as to whether the accused can get a fair trial in St. Lucia. They say it would be impossible to get an unbiased jury in this predominantly Catholic country. But the DPP’s office has denied rumours that the two men will be tried overseas.

            There were early concerns too about the mental state of the two men, but talk of psychological evaluation of their senses virtually evaporated after they showed no remorse. One’s mother reportd he told her he would do it all over again if given a chance, while the other raised a defiant and triumphant fist on his way to their first court appearance.

            The murdered nun was buried last Saturday and the badly burned are being treated overseas in the USA and neighbouring Martinique, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Church and State in this time of national tragedy.

            The healing process, which will take quite some time, has begun. Scores of Catholic counselors have descended on the island to help ease hundreds of witnesses to the carnage out of their lingering pain and anguish.

            The Government has also been kept busier than it ever anticipated in the first ten days of the year. The Prime Minister has had to issue three major public statements in quick succession, two addressing the heinous crime at the cathedral and Monday evening’s New Year’s Address to the Nation.

            The Ministries of Tourism and Foreign Affairs, through their embassies and offices abroad, have had to address the inquiries abroad as to the state of security for visitors, most arising from the negative publicity brought by the incident and inaccurate reporting by over-zealous locally based international correspondents.

            The St. Lucia Tourist Board too, has had to reassure travel agents and tour operators, reporting a few cancellations before reassurances were taken seriously. Tourism officials have also been reportedly discussing security at the island’s hotel plants following another attack on a visitor at a Rodney Bay hotel.

            Quite some concern has been expressed these past few days about the state of crime and the general efficiency of police detection, this in light of an unusual occurrence of a spate of incidents of sexual assault on women in various parts of the country in the first seven days of the year.

            The Prime Minister, in his New Year address, acknowledged such concerns an announced a new set of measures. Among them: he would set up a national Anti-Crime Commission and a mobile, Rapid Response Unit would be established at the Gros Islet Police Station, in addition to continuing revision of the Criminal Code and Reforms of the Police Force.

            The Prime Minister also met in an emergency session Tuesday with representatives of the St. Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association (SLHTA), the Chamber of Commerce and the Police Force, to discuss ongoing cooperation in addressing the security concerns of the tourism sector.

            Over the weekend, Home Affairs Minister Velon John officiated at the opening of the spanking new Marchand Police Station, where he repeated earlier concerns about the effectiveness of local policing and called again for closer police-public cooperation in the crime fight.

            The Prime Minister, in his address Monday evening, also announced that several other new police stations were to be constructed in villages around the island, including Marigot, Anse La Raye, Canaries, Choiseul, Laborie, Vieux Fort and Dennery.

            But the PM’s address was not all about the cathedral crime and government’s response. He also offered a glimpse of his administration’s plan for the year 2001, unveiling in the process several major projects, some of which have already begun to come on stream.

            Dr Anthony revealed government’s intention to launch a massive $125 million island-wide road programme this year, in addition to other major projects such as construction of the national stadium and a national cricket ground, as well as start of work on a brand new general hospital. He also announced two additional fishing complexes will be constructed this year to complement the largest one in the islands --which is based in Vieux Fort -- in addition to three new jetties in Anse La raye, Canaries and Laborie.

            The Prime Minister reiterated his government’s insistence that the macro economic factors confirm a continuing transition from dependence on bananas to tourism and services, reporting early successes in the administration’s efforts to consolidate the diversification of the national economic base.

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