SPEAK Out St. Lucia (S.O.S.) is pleased with Prime Minister Allen Chastanet’s announcement on Monday at his pre-Cabinet briefing about his government’s decision to move forward with the implementation of a Sex Offender Registry in Saint Lucia.
Many individuals and groups, over the years, have highlighted the numerous cases of rape and child sexual abuse which have caused grave concern and alarm.
In the past years, this situation has been highlighted even further with the use of social media which has resulted in an acute sensitization of the population which has led to the coming forward of many victims.
This statement by Prime Minister Chastanet also follows on the heels of the recently-held Symposium on Crime spearheaded by Minister for National Security, Hermangild Francis, and Leader of the Opposition, Philip J. Pierre.
Speak Out St. Lucia encourages the Prime Minister and Government of Saint Lucia to move forward in implementing the registry which we believe is a critical tool in the arsenal of fighting these serious crimes in Saint Lucia.
S.O.S. is also pleased to note that on November 30, 2017, Prime Minister of Grenada, Keith Mitchell, announced that his government will also implement a Sex Offender Registry.
In March 2016, Speak Out St. Lucia called for a national strategy on crime, with “collaboration between key sector agencies; psychological and counseling services to victims; public sensitization; protection for victims and witnesses; and the need for the creation of a safe and confidential environment where victims as well as non-victims feel safe to report these crimes.”
SOS urges Prime Minister Chastanet and his government to move forward with urgency in the implementation of the sex offender registry and other recommendations following the recently-held Symposium on Crime held on Friday, November 24.