Officials at the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment are expressing outrage over what they say is a sad and criminally distasteful trend, affecting the homeless within the Castries city circuit.
Staff of the Social Transformation Division of the Ministry have been responding to and continue monitoring increasing reports of physical assaults, perpetrated against helpless and defenseless homeless individuals at nights.
The Ministryās investigations to date, indicate that the unwholesome activity have left many of the homeless victims hospitalized, nursing serious injuries like broken bones.
Investigations also reveal that the criminal activity is being carried out by a group of young males, who target homeless victims within the vicinity of the Castries Market and Constitution Park.
The Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment is sounding the alarm on this matter, asking persons to be increasingly vigilant and aware of their surroundings. The Ministry, in the strongest possible way condemns this callous and criminal behavior and is calling on those involved to immediately desist from this heartless practice.
The efforts of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force have also been enlisted as a means of helping to bring the criminal activity to a rapid halt.
The Ministry of Equity, via its social safety net programs, provides assistance to individuals, institutions and organizations involved in carrying for and feeding the nationās homeless.