Charles leacock, Director of Public Prosecutions

Former Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin

BU has been steadfast in its condemnation of the treatment of the two rape victims for whose assaults Derek Crawford was wrongfully accused and charged. BU has been unrelenting in its condemnation of the Commissioner of Police’s racist statements that suggested that the ladies raped could not identify their attacker because he was black. BU has roundly condemned the Director of Public Prosecutions for pursuing the matter against Derek Crawford in the face of statements by the victims that Mr Crawford was not their rapist. BU has called for the resignation or dismissal of the CoP and the DPP and those officials who so insensitively botched the matter. BU is unaware of whether or not the rapes continue to be investigated.

These rapes and the lack of any sympathy or support for the victims by the Royal Barbados Police Force, were widely reported in the United Kingdom and international press, along with the unfortunate statement of the Commissioner of Police and the persistence of the Director of Public Prosecutions in prosecuting Mr Crawford, despite the evidence of the victims.

Recently, there was the incident of Mr and Mrs Prior who were shot at. Apparently the Police and Executive have learned a lesson and BU was pleased to publish the letter sent to it by the Priors. After all, the victims of lawlessness are not just tourists, although, on to the world press an assault on a tourist is news – in whatever country.

The Daily Mail broke the story in the United Kingdom and now there is another story, but this time in St Lucia. In this Mail report, two incidents occurring in Barbados have been highlighted and BU has therefore written to the Daily Mail in the interests of balanced reporting and also to demonstrate that there is strong wind of change following the rape incident, brought about as a result certainly of the Mail report (without which we would have known nothing) but mostly of “we the people” condemning in the roundest terms the DPP, the RBPF, the CoP and the justice system and demanding change.

Here is our letter to the Daily Mail which we, as citizens with a stake in our country have sent. It is sent to the Editor of the Mail and to reporters Paul Thompson and Andrew Gilligan.

“Dear Sirs,

We note with dismay (in both the regional and insular sense) your article published 16 April 2003 and found online at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2309439/Ten-British-holidaymakers-cruise-day-trippers-held-gunpoint-armed-robbery-St-Lucia.html

In the interests of balanced reporting, we send on to you the letter (attached) received by Barbados Underground from Mr and Mrs Prior (named in your report) who were attacked in Barbados. You may wish to publish it.

We read with sadness your report on the rape of Mrs Diane Davies in Barbados and joined you in condemning the response of Barbados’ police officials and justice system, a condemnation echoed by all Barbadians, as you will see from our comments section.

We are assured that measures to correct the official responses to these incidents have been put in place and we are monitoring and will report on these and their effectiveness in Barbados Underground.

Incidents of this kind are, unfortunately, a by-product of today’s society in any and every country. The measure of the country itself, however, is how it responds to these incidents, especially in terms of how it seeks to alleviate the suffering of the victims of these outrages.

It would seem from the Prior case that we are improving.

Respectfully

Barbados Underground”