St Vincent may reintroduce death penalties as crime reaches record high

The government of St Vincent and the Grenadines may reintroduce the death penalty as crime reaches an unstoppable pace. According to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, the practical removal of the death sentence prompted some people to adopt extreme violence.

In an interview with WEFM's Issue at Hand Program on Sunday, Gonsalves expressed concern that some young people are unable to differentiate between what they see on television and YouTube and the kind of violence that is frequently depicted.

"They seem oblivious to any reflection of what this item represents." It numbs and dulls their awareness of the problem in some ways. However, how we all grow up and participate in society will ultimately determine how successfully we handle this dreadful sickness," said PM Gonsalves.

He also mentioned the Privy Council's recent judgement to uphold the death penalty's legitimacy in Trinidad and Tobago.

Following the terrible murders of Luann Roberts and Precious Williams, people in St Vincent have become more vociferous in their support for the death sentence, citing an increase in violence against women and gun violence in recent months.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines carried out a surprise triple hanging on Monday, February 13, 1995. Franklin and David Thomas, as well as Douglas Hamlet, were all sentenced to death and went to SVG's gallows with only a weekend's notice.

Elgin Richards, Assistant Superintendent of Police, indicated on May 4, 2022, that illegal firearms are an issue in St Vincent and the Grenadines. By May 4, St Vincent has reported 14 killings, eight of which were perpetrated with firearms, according to Richards.

On Friday, May 20, around 1100 students from St Vincent's two top secondary schools gathered to express their outrage at the country's rising prevalence of violence against women.

Some people believe that with death penalty in place, people would think twice before committing any serious act of crime against any individual in the country.