Film nears 50,000 views in 3 days, St Lucia tourist chiefs express concern

It has been less than three days since we published the Murder & Rape in St Lucia video online and the powerful message it contains is being heard loud and clear. Already, the video has been viewed almost 50,000 times on Facebook, shared more than 650 times and attracted hundreds of comments (mostly supportive). 

We welcome the comments made this week by Noorani Azeez, chief executive at the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association, expressing concern about the level of criminal activity against visitors. Tourists can vote with their feet, but it requires brave people on the island to apply pressure too for systematic improvements to be made.

To those in St Lucia that have criticised us online, we say that we didn't publish this film lightly. It was done as a result of years of frustration with a justice system that moves ponderously slowly and consistently fails to engage with victims.

We appreciate that there are other dangerous places in the world and that crime happens elsewhere too, but Georgina Mortimer was raped in St Lucia, Roger Pratt and Gloria Greenwood were murdered in St Lucia, and so our efforts are focused on ensuring justice is done in St Lucia.

We have no desire to harm the tourist trade, but to ensure those contemplating a trip to St Lucia are aware it has a dangerous side - including one of the highest homicide rates in the world - and that it is possible they'll be left high and dry if something bad happens to them.

We want to encourage the island's authorities to take the steps necessary to ensure justice is done, not just for our cases, but also for the many St Lucians seeking justice for themselves and their loved ones too.

The failures of the justice system in St Lucia hit St Lucians hardest of all and only serve to fuel the crime epidemic on the island. We seek justice for Roger Pratt, for Gloria Greenwood, for Georgina Mortimer, and for the good of St Lucia too.

Comments

Popular Posts