Saint Lucia: Primus Toussaint charged with murder of 24-year-old wife Joy St Omer

Saint Lucia: Thirty-four-year-old Primus Toussaint of Belvedere, Canaries has officially been charged in connection with the tragic shooting death of his estranged wife, Joy St Omer. The accused appeared in the Magistrate’s Court in Castries, Saint Lucia on May 25.

According to the information received by the Saint Lucia Police Force, Toussaint was remanded until June 30 when he is scheduled to make his next court appearance.

The victim, 24-year-old Joy St Omer of Au Tabor, Anse La Raye, was found unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a vehicle when police officers from the Marigot Police Station and the Major Crimes Unit responded to a reported shooting occurred in Marigot, Castries around 7:10 pm. The mother of one was eventually pronounced dead by a medical officer at the scene.

Police further added that while officers were at the scene, they received information that Toussiant, the estranged husband of St Omer, had arrived at the Criminal Investigations Department with his attorney. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder and taken into custody at the Centralised Community Safety Centre.

The killing has sparked immense public outrage because the family and community revealed that Joy’s death was entirely preventable. At the time she was killed, a formal Protection Order was actively in place against Toussaint.

Just days prior to the murder (on Sunday, May 17), Toussaint had been arrested and charged at the Anse La Raye Police Station for physical assault, uttering threatening words and violating that very protection order.

Despite his history of violent breaches, he was brought before the First District Court and released. The victim’s family is now blaming the island’s criminal justice system and are saying that Joy felt her violent end was inevitable because the courts consistently failed to protect her.

Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Philip J Pierre also released an official statement and expressed his deep sorrow while condemning the violence. However, his statement drew immediate online backlash after he told public commentators and influencers to avoid "sensationalism and emotion" regarding the case. He added that while the government respects judicial independence, he hopes "the people who make these decisions are not mute to what is happening in society generally."