Brutal Attack on British Nationals

[Steve Wooler]

They don't even know how to take fingerprints on Tobago, Paul. The Guardian reports do talk about DNA samples being taken, but to be honest I think that is just PR - I suspect they think DNA means "Don't kNow Anything".

[Paul Tallet]

I guess that puts it into perspective.

Regards

[Brian Taylor]

don't know how they did it (in germany we say: "even a bling chicken picks a grain sometimes"), but it was on the news tonight (saturday) that the police got the right guy and that he admitted to have attacked the british couple as well as the swedish couple earlier on... let's hope that is a reason to be a tad relieved, especially for us half islanders because it was not tourists he was after...
no doubt that still alot has to be done to the police force on the island to not only solve crimes like that but even more important PREVENT them from happening!
off to bed now, over and out
steph

[Dr Stefan Rustscheff]

To Steve,
In the wake of this new horrific incident I would just like to inform You that the Good Sergeant Wallace of Moriah Police actually did take fingerprints on Our Very Own Crime Scene. I do think that played at least partly a role when we caught the twins and put one of them behind bars. To my immense relief I was the one wielding cutlasses that night and not the other way around. My thoughts go to the poor unfortunates with scarring and mutilations for life as a result of placing trust in the wrong community. I really start to wonder if there is a racial connection in these murders/murder attempts. Surely, at least compared to many other caribbean islands, the European/North American part time residents are rather low-key, non-wealth-flaunting gentle people who appreciate Tobago and its way of life? I was actually tempted to acquire land in L´Anse Fourmi through a very good friend but I don´t know anymore. She is leaving after 20 years on the Island. I now wonder why...

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Stefan

Good to hear from you - but allow me a little poetic licence will you. The truth is that there are only a small handful of officers trained to take fingerprints on the island and those officers are so over-stretched that it is hardly surprising that they can only get to a small percentage of cases.

The local police are under-funded, under-trained and suffer from terribly low morale. The villains are invariably known in every community. In the old days, the local copper would take them somewhere quiet and have a word in their ear - possibly with the edge of a baton. Now the magistrates won't tolerate that form of policing - but the police haven't been given the training and resources to handle 'modern' policing.

The 'twins' and their father are a classic case. Everybody has known of their activities for years but even now they've never had anything but a relatively mild slap on the wrist. Why? because nobody would speak up and so often, the cops have family connection with those involved. The same with their cafe built illegally on the beach at Englishman's Bay. They have been served an eviction order by the THA - but have they enforced it? No! Is it corruption or is it total incompetence? I wish I knew.

[Sean Hubbard]

Firstly my heartfelt condolences to the Greens and their family and may they have a speedy recovery.
Yet again Tobago continues on its downwards spiral almost as if to replicate the mindless violence which is now the norm in Trinidad. The islands of the Caribbean have changed considerably over the last 20 years with an ever increasing annual tally of murders committed against locals and foreigners alike. I myself have family living in Trinidad and my sisters are currently in Tobago on holiday not too far from where the Greens were attacked, you just can’t help worrying. I disagree with a previous post that tries to distinguish between tourists and ‘half islanders’, in my opinion a foreigner is always seen as a foreigner no matter how well one assimilates, don’t kid yourselves, it’s just that the tourists are not that easy to get hold of behind the hotel walls. Whatever the motivation behind these hideous crimes there has to be a political movement to provide short term fixes to the way Tobago is policed. An example could be taken from Jamaica where the crime rate is the highest in the Caribbean (T&T is second to JA) but violent crime is virtually unknown against tourists due to the high profile policing of tourist areas by tourist police, indeed the crime rate in Jamaica has actually dropped for the first time in years. Long term social/economic fixes could surely be put in place, focusing on the huge drug problem in Tobago, by using some of the Oil & Gas funds the government receives.
We were in Tobago and then Trinidad last year August and although we had a smashing time I think it was spoiled somewhat by the security precautions one has to adopt on a day to day basis to avoid becoming a target. Although obvious, I would suggest to those expats living in Tobago that an easy way to protect your property and yourselves is to get a dog, a very very big dog .

[SandraK]

Have just been called from a friend in Tobago. Upshot being nobody believes in the veracity of this guy in custody. As Steve has said" some poor sucker". Breaks my heart but there you go.

[Paul Tallet]

I have read that too.

I hope not ... it would make matters much worse if Tobago's Police (or the Special Squad!) got a confession out of some poor local chap just to get a result and then clean up all the other crimes ... I hope they are doing the job properly and the suspect has not got the sole pattern of someone's boot imprinted on the side of his face.

The news I read and the opinions I see about the follow-up to this crime are making it look rather perverse and comical which is making me feel more angry and sickened.

I sincerely hope that I am eating my words in a very short period of time.

Regards

[Amanda Duprey]

I've just returned from a few days vacation from Tobago and it was lovely as usually! Only wish is that my kids can see the Bucco Reef in it's beauty as I have once witnessed it!

First and foremost, I do wish a speedy recovery for the couple who was attacked and I hope the "right" perpatrator is caught. I am not totally convinced that the person in custody - Mr. Clint Alexis - is the guy that they are looking for (however I can be wrong!)

[Neil Roberts]

Dear All,
Well a few months have passed by since this awful story was discussed here on the forum. Were the perpetrators ever caught or were the more cynical amongst us proved to be right?

Linda and I are nevertheless on our way to Tobago once again on Wednesday, four nights in the Crown Point area, four in Charlotteville and six in Castara, and we are really looking forward it, as you can imagine!!

All the best to readers in Tobago and here in the UK.

Neil Roberts.

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Neil

A local guy, Clint Alexis, from the Tobago village of Argyle, was charged with the attempted murders of Peter and Murium Greene. My last informaton is that he is in custody and due to reappear before Scarborough Magistrates this coming Tuesday, 26 February.

Have a great holiday - I'm sure you will.

[Steve Pitts]

It is with great dismay that I am posting this type of message after having not been active on the forums for quite some time. On Saturday afternoon a brutal cutlass attack on an elderly British couple resulted in their hospitalization in Trinidad.
While I will not go into details of the incident the initial report can be found here:

http://newsday.co.tt/news/0,104858.html

As a Trinidadian national I am ashamed and saddened at this recent incident especially since no one has been apprehended neither were there any witnesses willing to come forward.

I do not know what else to say about this incident save for a total boycott of the island by tourists which may hopefully cause the authorities to wake up and put measures in place to prevent and deter violent crime in both Trinidad & Tobago.

I wish the couple a quick and speedy recovery.

Here's an update on this sad case for those who may have not seen the latest news

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-13132725

[Paul Tallet]

Totally unsatisfactory.

Regards

[Steve Wooler]

Quite so, Paul!

In truth, every resident that I spoke to during my recent visit expressed disquiet about the arrest of the alleged perpetrator. My information is that the guy is somewhat ‘mentally challenged’ and would have been easily intimidated into a 'confession'. The feeling seems to be that the police responded to political pressure to get a speedy resolution.

There appear to be aspects to the case that I am unable to discuss in public. But, as so often, there may be a back-story to this horrible incident. However, I must stress that nothing that I have heard indicates that the Greens were culpable in any way.

[Bob White]

I can only but agree with the points Steve has made.

Right from the start of this sad incident our local contacts were saying the police had arrested the wrong person. The police were under significant political pressure to gain a successful and probably more important to the politicians a speedy conviction. I'm not sure where this investigation goes next within a context of little or no DNA and fingerprinting facilities.