Authorities help British guests to recover from mental, physical harm after attack

Tourism officials have extended a full range of support services to a group of British visitors who are said to be mentally and physically scarred from a home invasion and sexual assault that occurred last weekend.

Minister of Tourism and International Transport Senator Lisa Cummins revealed that the party of three, said to include a young child, have been moved into another property and are receiving counselling at the expense of the Government.

Adamant that the scourge of violence is in no way specific to tourists, Senator Cummins underscored the need for social, economic, and law enforcement interventions to tackle the issues.

Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Acting Inspector Rodney Inniss confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the incident that allegedly unfolded last Sunday around 8 p.m. at a beach house at Lower Carlton, St James. The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) is taking the lead on the matter, but police have offered no information on whether any arrests have been made.

“It is an unfortunate incident. It is certainly not something that is reflective of the Barbadian ethos, and the police have our full support in investigating and prosecuting if they find the perpetrator,” Senator Cummins told Barbados TODAY on Friday.

She revealed that within minutes of the incident, tourism officials had been informed and immediately offered support to the family.

“We have a tourism liaison officer in the Royal Barbados Police Force, so anything that happens involving a visitor to the island we are always aware of, so, in this instance, we made it our business to make direct contact,” the Tourism Minister disclosed.

“We also facilitated medical support…and worked really closely with the RBPF. I think they are to be commended for the way in which they interact with visitors at all times and I personally went and spent some time with the victims along with the support services that were there and we made sure we offered them every support,” Cummins added.

In fact, she revealed that the visitors would even receive counselling virtually on their return to the United Kingdom.

The incident unfolded as stakeholders in the country’s main industry attempt to recover from tremendous fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is the second attack in less than two weeks where an alleged victim was sexually assaulted. Two Saturdays ago, a 15-year-old girl was allegedly beaten and raped while walking through a track that leads from Bayville, St Michael to Collymore Rock.

There have also been a handful of isolated incidents in recent times in which visitors, particularly on the South Coast, fell victim to criminals.

“I don’t know where it places us,” said Senator Cummins.

“I think we have to be very clear that Barbados has to be safe for Barbadians first and when Barbados is safe for Barbadians, then everyone else is going to be safe.

“One of the downstream impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic globally and locally is that there has been an increase in the number of unemployed persons in the country and . . . despite the extensive social network that Barbados has in place to capture and provide support for persons who have been displaced as a result of COVID, you will have these kinds of activities on the increase, and we are seeing this happening globally,” the Minister added.

She therefore expressed confidence that as the country’s economic situation improves, more people will be occupied and hopefully less inclined to acts of desperation.

“But that doesn’t mean there is not an ordinary criminal element that is out there that is in the domain of the Royal Barbados Police Force and that is not tourism specific. That is something that we would have to deal with across the various agencies across government and at the community level. That is not something that is specific to tourism at all,”  Senator Cummins explained.

The Tourism Minister vowed to do everything in her power to maintain the visitors’ right to privacy and shield them from “unwanted scrutiny”.

“Tourism is about building and maintaining relationships in good times and then when it gets more difficult in times like this, you manage to maintain privacy so that the people involved don’t have to be subjected to unwanted scrutiny when they have already gone through a traumatic event. But you also then make sure that you provide them with any type of support after the event has ended. That is what we have been doing quietly and consistently in collaboration with the agencies here,” Cummins concluded.

When contacted, the Chairman of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) Geoffrey Roach said he heard about the incident on Friday and would have to conduct further investigations before offering a public comment.
(kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)