St Lucia MP urges government to get serious about crime

The MP for St Lucia’s Castries South has pleaded with the government to tackle a crime situation that has “gotten worse”.

And Ernest Hilaire has pulled Allen Chastanet’s administration for a lack of plans to deal with the situation, and failing to follow through on pre-election promises.

During the first six months of 2017 there has been 28 recorded murders in St Lucia.

There were 31 during the whole of 2016.

The latest victim of murder is Ike Ephraim, whose body was discovered in Caye Mange, Gros Islet, a week ago. One man is in custody in relation to the death.

Speaking to St Lucia News Online, Hilaire said: “28 murders in half the year. Has the prime minister made St Lucia safer? Has Honourable Hermangild Francis made St. Lucia safer? Do you hear of any plans, any policies, any programmes to make St. Lucia safer?

“It has gotten worse, a lot worse than when the Labour Party was in power and you’re hearing no policies, no programmes. All you’re hearing about is they gonna buy more vehicles for the police.”

‘Silence from government’

“The last government was criticised for its management of the country. People were asked to vote them out and that was done on a promise that they would get it right and they would do it better and solve those problems,” Hilaire added.

As well as attacking what he sees as the government’s lack of foresight, Hilaire also accused Chastanet and ministers of failing to speak out on “pertinent issues” such as rape, violence and the circulation of undignified videos of women, according to St Lucia News Online.