Photo 1 – Leanna Napoleon
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JUNE 16TH 2017 – Leader of the Opposition, the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said Thursday the discovery of the decomposed body of 17-year-old Leanna Napoleon is a sad day for the twin-island Federation.
“(It) has brought to an end six weeks of agony and pain, not only for the adopted parents, family members and friends of Leanna, but to a large extent for all of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis,” the former prime minister said on the adjournment of Thursday’s sitting of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly.
He told lawmakers and the public that the 17-year-old school child, “having left home for her secondary school examinations, should not have been found in this way. This is the view of all of the citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
“It casts a very dark shadow over St. Kitts and Nevis. Although I’m sure that it might begin the process of closure and some healing of the families and friends who have suffered this great loss it nevertheless cannot bring comfort and it cannot relieve the pain that we all feel here as a nation,” said former Prime Minister.
Photo 2 – Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas
The seven-term Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher 6, is of the view that if Leanna’s murder, the 15th for 2017 “should bring political parties together – the Opposition and Government sides in the Parliament – in fighting crime and finding solutions to the ever increasing murder rate in St. Kitts and Nevis, then may it happen.”
First-term parliamentarian for St. Christopher 3 (West Basseterre), Hon. Konris Maynard noted that Leanna and her mother resided in his constituency a few years ago.
Photo 3 – Hon. Konris Maynard
Maynard, who joined a search party in the constituency shortly after the 17-year-old went missing said it was painful that she has lost her life.
He became emotional when he told Parliamentarians that his wife had informed him early Thursday morning that Leanna’s body was found.
“We have two daughters and we would not want anything like this to happen to them. I cannot imagine what her parents, her friends, are going through,” said Maynard.
He appealed to the Nation “to do everything in our power to help reduce this scourge of crime that affects all of us. We pay no attention to crime until it hits home because we are distracted by politics and we say things that are not in the best interest of making our country a safer place,” said Maynard.
He said he had recently met Leanna’s father “who held out hope that the family will have some sort of closure.”
“I ask God to be with the family, God to be with the Nation at this time and i pray that we will become better and I look forward to the day when we can celebrate the reduction of criminal activity in our country,” Maynard concluded.
