myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

There was a brief newsreport on the BBC this morning about a sexual assault on two british tourist in Tobago and they mentioned that there is an advisory out regarding crime on the island. This assault is very distressing in light of the recent murders of the Swedish couple.

Just seen this on the BBC breakfast news! What on earth is going on over there?! It's another Villa attack apparently.Very sad indeed.

Time Online
Sky News

I believe that the person is watching the females around the area, he see where they stay and he "make a visit", and as he did get away with it the first time he most likely do it again.
The real bad thing is that such a rape very often isn´t so much sexual, it´s more an act of control, and therefore it often also get worst every time he attack again.
Ronald

Ronald, I might tend to agree with you. For example, when my friend and I were attacked, it was very "well planned", it seemed. He must have studied the place and figured out that he could get through the bathroom window. He must have watched us all afternoon and knew there were two females staying there alone. We were so isolated that in fact nobody heard my friend screaming (and believe me, she let out some blood-curdling screams), and I guess our robber/rapist guy knew it because he was not upset about her screaming at all. My heart so goes out to these victims and the recovery they're going to have to endure. And I've seen some people in various forums mention that they don't know how these four couldn't subdue this one man, but I don't think it's okay to judge these four and how they acted or didn't act. Believe me, when you're in that situation, unless you HAVE been in that situation, you don't know how you are going to act or not act. Your brain goes fully into survival mode. Perhaps they had heard about the murders of the Swedish couple and thought that if they resisted they might die or watch their loved ones die. For all they knew, this could have been the same guy who killed the Swedish couple.

Sorry, I'm venting a little here. But it's just such a sad, sad situation. I just hate to see Tobago going this way. Taking the "usual precautions" and "using common sense" is not always enough. There has to be efficient law enforcement because without it, the criminals are bold in their knowledge that they can't get caught.

The report is also on uk Ceefax today...

Yesterday morning I received unofficial news that three boys had been arrested for the recent burglary and attack that has been the subject of this thread. I have received no official confirmation of this and although I've been listening to Radio Tambarin most of the day (until it got truly on my nerves), nothing has been announced. Therefore, we must treat this news with a certain degree of reserve - although my source is rock solid.

The news is that three young brothers have been arrested. All are local residents of Black Rock village. Passports and jewellery from the attack have been recovered. The description of one of the brothers firms fits the description given for other burglaries (and 'near attacks') in the village - all of which were within easy walking distance of the boys home.

I will obviously confirm as soon as I have definite confirmation of this news. Fingers crossed!

hi everyone,
having just returned from tobago, and being present when the murders and assaults took place, i have to say we were shocked. there appears to be quite a large police presence during the day all around crown point, but come 9-10 pm they are all gone apart from the occasional police 4x4 cruising around slowly. from what i have seen there appears to be a small element of disrespectful young men, making lots of noise, loud music, hastleing tourists, and getting drunk on the streets. it is this small group that need to be targeted and when they are active [8-11 pm]. many of these individuals are driving in the dark with no lights, wrong side of the road, at speeds up 70 mph- but i never saw one get stopped!! the police just stare at them and go the other way !? now i have heard that the t.h.a. will have to consider a full time police force!!?? derrrr , i am sorry to say i think matters will get much worse on the island, i dont know how long it has taken trinidad to gain the reutation it has now, but it would not suprise me if tobago goes the same way, unless the police and justice departments put huge resources into solving the lack of committed and responsive ground forces. lastly i would like to add that this is my own opinion and probably not shared by everyone , so i apoligise if it upsets anyone and hope that personel opinions are still allowed here. regards dave balaam

last time i was on tobago some friends of mine got mugged at a concert in scarborough. i had already left for the hotel but they told me later they went up to a policewoman on the stage area and pointed to the group of men who had mugged them (still present, standing only a little way off and enjoying the music). the policewoman told them to wait, went away and never came back.

earlier i have always put this story down to my friends being drunk and disorderly and that she probably wasnt a policewoman to begin with but perhaps some kind of concert-security. now i dont know what to think.

Hi Stefan

There are for sure security who never call or give the police any report what so ever. Many years ago two guys did steel some money from me at Store Bay Beach. I was told to make a report at the security and I did so.

When asking the security if they would give the report to the police and/or give them a call, I was told "No, you have to go to go and make a report to the police byt your self"!
So after that I really don´t care fo these so called "Security" at the beaches. They seems to go sleeping around just waiting for the pay-check. Why make a report to them when they doesn´t do anything?

The bad thing is that mostly visitors believe that these security will act between them and the police, but they don´t!
Ronald

Steve,
I've also received news from the villa owner from the villa at which I stayed in Tobago in Black Rock. He claims that three boys have been locked up and that they've found passports/money on them and the description definitely fits the guy that targeted us in May. Hmm...Wonder if I'll ever get my cell phone back? Not likely, I bet. Anyway, I feel so awful for this villa owner because I know he's lost business since all this has been going on and I really do wish him the best. He's a good person and I really do hope that this mess is cleaned up soon.

Hi Andrea

From the T&T Internet Express Oct 29

"A 22-year-old Tobago man has been charged with the robbery and sexual assault of two UK tourists in Black Rock last week, and will appear in the Scarborough Magistrate Court today.
The man, from Courland Bush, which is just outside Black Rock, faces 20 charges of robbery, burglary and sexual assault.
He was held during a sting operation by police officials on Friday at his home. Jewelry, cellular phones and other personal items were also retrieved during the operation by police from the Old Grange station and Scarborough CID".

This should be good news for both locals and visitors in the Black Rock area.
Nothing is said about the other two boys arrested at same time.
Ronald

That's really good news! I really hope that helps clean up the area!

I hope that it is the right man and, if it is, it's quite shocking that this is a local person.

I note 20 charges so I guess he is in the frame for a number of other incidents of this nature.

Regards

I hope to post a more detailed update as soon as information becomes available. Details are sketchy, not least because the police/authorities/THA have no proper press release facility and, frankly are so unbelievably incompetent and disorganised that I doubt that even THEY know what is really going on.

I understand that the three brothers initially arrested for the burglary/attack have been released. Perhaps they were not directly involved - or perhaps there is a lack of evidence. However, a close cohort and member of their group was charged. He is the person mentioned in the local press and who will be appearing in court today. I understand that he has a criminal record and that the charges extend far further than the recent attack.

Can I please add some additional thoughts here. For legal and other reasons I am unwilling to explain further at this time. My I stress that my comments are NOT directed at, or referring to, the British couples who were attacked last week and to whom this thread primarily refers. There is absolutely no suggestion that their behaviour or actions in any way contributed to the incident. Just the opposite.

Clearly, no burglary or 'attack' can be condoned. However, people MUST take responsibility for their own actions. Smoking weed may be considered a trivial, even enjoyable, practise by many - but the fact is that it is a criminal offence. Drugs can only be purchased from criminal sources. I am told that the young men central to this recent attack are also the prime source of drugs in the village. Tourists stupid enough to deal with these people are clearly asking for trouble, particularly if their party is less than a full rugby football team. Visitors should NEVER tell anyone they don't know where they are staying. Providing such information to those you are buying/arranging drugs from is an open invitation to trouble. Anyone who arranges for someone to 'call by' their guesthouse/apartments/villa and drop off some 'goodies' frankly deserves everything they get.

Sermon over!

Obviously our thoughts go out to the family of the Swedish couple and the Brits who were attacked and words cannot express how wrong those incidents were on so many levels and likewise my following comments are not pertaining to either of them.

On your general basis i totally agree with you Steve. I remember two occasions when visiting St Lucia seeing at 3 am seeing an american tourist, (who did not know my friend and i were watching and listening from where we were sitting in the dark), attempt to buy crack from a complete stranger, a rasta he simply stopped in the street. he then followed the rasta off down some dark lane... and on another occasion an English woman in her 50's who had spoken to me earlier one evening in a bar, she was so drunk at 7pm she could hardly slur out the fact she was recently divorced and on a cruise ship, i later saw her that evening at about 2am standing on the roadside in the middle of nowhere with a local guy. If bad things had happened to these people they would never admit they were out, late, drunk looking for drugs or sex.

On the whole, Tobago is a safe and serene place to visit, it is tragic what happened to the Brits and the Swedes, but there are often things you hear happen where you think " what were they thinking?" people doing things they would never do in London or Frankfurt or where ever they come from which then leads to trouble. I cannot understand that when something negative happens people are very quick to go on the internet and post a report about 'how they were robbed on a beach while watching the sunset" but they never bothered to go online before their holiday and read warnings where it says "don't go on remote beaches by yourself or after dusk".

The reality is that these things are happening in very small pockets of areas and most people are aware of this, Tobago still has so much to offer, it is one of, if not the most, beautiful unspoilt islands in the caribbean and there are so many safe places to stay and liming spots to drink and beaches to relax on for our visitors to feel safe and welcome, Charlotteville for example has a wonderful ambience and a very welcoming atmosphere where the locals will not tollerate any trouble against tourists.

Tourists would not leave their wallet on the car seat in Liverpool or walk around Clydebank at four in the morning trying to buy weed. If someone is adult enough to have a job and buy a flight ticket then they are adult enough to know how to behave on holiday or suffer the consequences. But lets put this in perspective, 16,000 people are killed each year in the USA, 800,000 go missing, thats close to a million people in the USA every year go missing, yet Florida still remains the number one holiday destination for Brits.

Well said Stu.I couldn't agree with you more
David(less than 5 days)

I agree too but only 90%.

It is true that if you want to buy drugs or go out getting drunk that the risks to your personal safety will increase.

It is also true, but less likely, that some people that do not follow those activities are unfortunate enough to have these experiences.

Regards