DLP responds to tourist stabbing

The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) has responded to Thursday’s stabbing of an American female visitor on Brownes Beach, Bay Street, St Michael.

The 40-year-old woman is reported to be in serious condition after being stabbed in the chest during a robbery attempt while walking with her husband along Bay Street.

Whether you are a tourist or local, there are no words that can ease the mental and physical trauma of being attacked, robbed and violated, the DLP’s Working Chair on Tourism, Courie Cox, said on Saturday.

He added, “After such a harrowing experience, her life will never be the same. I can’t fault this lady or any of her friends or family if they never return to Barbados. But, I wish her a full recovery, a safe trip back home and I hope the assailant is caught and brought to justice.”

Although there has been a rise in crime and gun violence, attacks on visitors to the island are still not a frequent occurrence, however the DLP Spokesman pointed out that there is “a knock-on effect” from the increasingly brazen crimes against locals.

“Many Barbadians already do not feel safe in this country and if things continue on this path, Barbados will become less attractive to tourists and foreign entities who want to travel or conduct business here,” Cox highlighted.

While many on social media share Cox’s views, there are others who look to countries with powerful criminal elements but still receive high tourism arrivals. To this Cox remains adamant that Barbados has historically been a tourist friendly destination and we should strive to remain that way.

“Why should we compare ourselves to countries where police sirens ring non-stop and armed soldiers patrol the streets in full military gear? That is not the Barbados I grew up in and it’s certainly not a Barbados I would want to visit if I was a tourist,” he said.

Government has put several measures in place to deal with the rise crime including, two police superintendents, a Minister of State with responsibility for Crime Prevention, and stricter gun laws but Cox was critical of these measures and cautioned that “the Mottley-led Administration has yet to get to the root of the crime issue,” Cox said.

He concluded, “There is a massive void in Barbados where opportunities for young men are concerned. So despite having those so-called crime prevention measures in place, until real and accessible employment and entrepreneurship opportunities are provided, we will continue to see a spike in crime.”