MP Marcella Liburd questions Sen. Phipps’ silence on recent rape and sexual assault on women; calls on females to take precaution

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS –March 15^th 2017 – Former Minister of Gender Affairs, Hon. Marcella Liburd is questioning the silence of her predecessor Sen. the Hon. Wendy Phipps on the latest incident of sexual assault and increasing cases of rape in St. Kitts and Nevis.

There has been no reaction to date from Sen. Phipps or Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris on Monday’s armed robbery of a Ross University student and the reported rape of a non-student and recent warning by the governments of theUnited Kingdom, Canada and United States to their citizens visiting St. Kitts and Nevis of the occurrence of serious crimes including murder and armed robbery, rape, petty street crime and automobile break-ins and burglary.

“We are yet to hear from the Minister of Gender Affairs or the Department of Gender Affairs, even to give some advice and comfort to women,” said Ms. Liburd, who added that women in St. Kitts and Nevis are living in fear and advised them to take all the necessary precaution to secure themselves.

“The St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party wants to advise mothers- especially single mothers and women who live on their own – to take all available measures to protect yourselves and to be sensitive to your environment. Try not to walk alone. Try to walk with other people because the situation has become serious matter that women are being violated in this way. This is not a matter that we should take lightly,” said Liburd, the Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher 2 (Central Basseterre) and chairperson of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) on Wednesday’s “Issues” programme on Freedom 106.5 FM and Kyss 102.5 FM.

 Statistics from the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force report a near 60 percent increase in crime in 2016 compared to 2015 with double and triple digit increases in crime. Sex crimes including rape, indecent assault and unlawful carnal knowledge moved from 36 in 2015 to 45 in 2016.

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