houSE & hoME
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The Tribune
FIVE-YEAR SENTENCE A ‘DANGEROUS MESSAGE’
Activists call out ‘light sentence’ for father who molested twins
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A FIVE-year prison sentence for a man who pleaded guilty to molesting his three-year-old twin daughters sparked outrage from women’s rights activists yesterday, with one saying it shows ignorance and indifference to survivors of sexual violence and highlights a flawed judicial system. “The trend of light sentences and fines we have been seeing for acts of sexual violence, particularly against children, is indicative of a disregard for bodily autonomy and the health and wellbeing of children,” said Equality Bahamas founder Alicia Wallace.
“Judges are sending a
TWEN T Y DOGS SEIZED AF T ER REPOR T OF MALT REATMEN T
By PAVEL BAILE Y Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
TWENTY dogs were rescued by police from a residence on Eton Road on Saturday following concerns of suspected maltreatment.
Chief Superintendent Sheria King confirmed to The Tribune that the animals are receiving treatment at the Bahamas Humane Society and other facilities. However, no suspect has been arrested, and investigations are ongoing. An anonymous source claimed the animals were kept chained in poor conditions and were reportedly malnourished.
Fox’s Balmoral Island lease could face legal challenge from former MP
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A former Cabinet minister has warned he may initiate legal action over the Government’s decision to lease
a portion of Balmoral Island to Adrian Fox for part of his proposed $300m resort project.
Damian Gomez KC told Tribune Business he has already written to the Attorney General’s Office
to “flag” his concerns that the 21-year deal struck with Island Luck’s co-founder “literally expropriates property that belongs to me” as a result of a pre-existing lease interest he holds.
Mom says son was ‘humiliated and in pain’ after officer’s alleged assault
By LYNAIRE MUNN I NGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
CHINIKA Louisius says her fourth-grade son was left humiliated and in pain after a police officer allegedly beat him in front of his classmates, leaving him unable to sleep on his back for days.
Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, she recalled the moment she found out about the ordeal, which happened on Tuesday, January 28. “When I came home, I found him lying on his stomach. He was embarrassed because it happened
TWO A MERICAN WOM EN BI TT EN
TWO American women were treated in hospital after a shark attack in Bimini last week.
Police reported that the women were swimming in Bimini Bay around 6.30pm on Friday when the attack occurred. They sustained serious injuries and were initially treated at a local clinic before being airlifted to New Providence for further medical care.
One of the victims was listed in serious condition, but police said that both women had been discharged and had returned to the US.
BUT president Belinda Wilson.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
PHILADELPHIA Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy as he stands with quarterback Jalen Hurts after the Eagles won the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, yesterday in New Orleans. See SPORTS section for more.
Photo: David J. Phillip/AP
Police investigating ‘suspicious death’
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
POLICE are inves -
tigating two separate deaths—a Cuban national found lifeless in his home and a 34-year-old man who succumbed to gunshot injuries sustained earlier this month.
In the first incident, an adult Cuban national was discovered unresponsive at a residence on Willet Street, Eastern Estates, around 4pm on Saturday. He was found with visible injuries and had reportedly not been seen by neighbours for several days. Emergency Medical Services were called to the scene, but pronounced him dead.
Police have classified the death as suspicious and are investigating how he sustained his injuries and whether foul play was involved.
In the second incident, police confirmed that a 34-year-old man died in hospital on Friday, nearly a week after being shot.
The shooting took place around 10.30am on Sunday, February 2, near East Street South and Malcolm Road. Despite medical treatment, the victim did not survive. His death brings the country’s murder count to ten for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.
Police have also reported a man was stabbed in an incident on Saturday at Cowpen Road after 4pm.
Police said two men got into an argument which turned physical, leaving one man stabbed in the abdomen.
He was taken to hospital and was listed in serious condition. A 29-year-old man was arrested at the scene.
Twenty dogs seized after report of maltreatment
from page one
Bahamas Humane Society (BHS) president Kim Arahna confirmed that some of the animals are receiving treatment at her facility and are expected to make a full recovery.
She praised the police for their efforts during Saturday’s raid but expressed hope that authorities will
continue intervening in cases of animal cruelty.
In January, The Tribune reported that the Bahamas Alliance for Animal Rights and Kindness (BAARK!) had seen an increase in cases of animal cruelty, neglect, and suffering from 2023 to 2024.
A particularly concerning case occurred last October when advocates raised alarms about a traumatised dog chained in South Beach, found in an area littered with the bones of other dogs. BAARK animal trafficking coordinator Stephanie Kesten has previously said that the organisation and other animal support groups lack the resources and funding to address these cases effectively.
THE SCENE on Willet Street in Eastern Estates where the body of a man was discovered at a home on Saturday.
Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
95% of staff at Lookout Cay are Bahamian, says Disney
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
SOME 95 percent of all staff at Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point are Bahamian, according to regional public affairs director Joey Gaskins, who underscored a commitment to Bahamian leadership as he confirmed all managerial positions are held by locals.
“One of the things that we are proud about at Disney Lookout Cay, at Lighthouse Point, is that we made an effort to ensure the leadership at Disney Lookout Cay is all Bahamian,” Mr Gaskins said on Friday.
He credited Bahamian recruitment manager Leslie Lopez for successfully filling these key positions with local talent. As Disney expands, Mr Gaskins encouraged Bahamians to
explore career opportunities with the company.
“We are a growing company,” he said. “Right now, there are six ships in the fleet, and by 2031/2032, we will have 13 ships. We want to encourage Bahamians to look at job opportunities with us and see the career progressions.”
He also highlighted the importance of Bahamians taking leadership roles in the country’s primary industry.
“I think it is vital for Bahamians to be in leadership in tourism. Our tourism industry is our number one industry in The Bahamas, and Bahamians should lead. I think it’s very important that we are not just participants in the tourism industry in The Bahamas but that we lead it.”
Mr Gaskins addressed public skepticism surrounding foreign direct investment, noting that
Disney has taken steps to ensure its contributions extend beyond employment.
“We have attempted to implement a model that shifts the narrative around that. One –employment is key for us, and part of what we have done is to get as many Bahamians to come and work for us as possible,” he said.
He added that Disney’s approach focuses on sustainable economic opportunities, including contracts for maintenance, ownership of port adventures, and support for small businesses.
“The other part of the model is what we like to call sustainable economic opportunities, and that means ensuring that small businesses feel, as Thomas Sands would say, the knock-off effect of our investment here in Eleuthera.”
“The reason why I think a lot of Bahamians are sceptical about foreign direct investment is because they focus almost primarily on jobs. Jobs are very important but the other dimension to that is ownership and the growth of small and medium-sized businesses and that’s something that we have been focused on at Disney as well.”
#he company also highlighted the achievements of two Bahamian employees. Sean Brennen, who oversees Island Services, and Logan Scavella, storekeeper manager, were both recently promoted.
Ms Scavella, the only woman on her team, encouraged young women to pursue similar opportunities. Having been on the job for nearly a year, she expressed joy in her role and stressed that such achievements are attainable for others.
Disney Cruise Lines to build entertainment spaces for children in Eleuthera
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
HUNDREDS of students across Eleuthera will soon benefit from new outdoor play and sports facilities, thanks to Disney Cruise Line’s $1m commitment to building entertainment spaces across the island. The initiative is part of
Disney’s The Play Project. Under the programme, Disney has partnered with the non-profit organisation love.fútbol to create playgrounds and sports spaces across Eleuthera, marking a significant investment in the island’s communities and children.
On Friday, Wemyss Bight Primary School celebrated the completion of its new
playground with a special community event. Students, teachers, local leaders, Disney Cruise Line cast members, and love.fútbol volunteers gathered to unveil the new facility.
The playground features slides, swings, and a jungle gym, offering students a much-needed space for play and physical activity.
Harcourt McCoy, district
superintendent of education, highlighted the importance of these spaces, saying, “Playgrounds are more than just places to run and jump and climb, they are spaces where children build friendships, develop social skills and ignite their imagination.”
Principal Katrina McKinney of Wemyss Bight Primary School expressed her gratitude, noting the project has has made a significant impact on our school community. She said the school is looking forward to future collaboration.
This month, additional playgrounds and sports spaces will open at Green Castle, PA Gibson, Deep Creek, Tarpum Bay, and Rock Sound Primary Schools.
Alongside playgrounds, schools will receive revamped basketball courts and areas for long jump and high jump. To further support students, the non-profit Good Sports is donating hundreds of pieces of recreational sports equipment.
The initiative also includes “build days” where community members,
school staff, students, and Disney volunteers join forces to beautify the new spaces by painting courts, assembling benches, and planting flowers.
Director of Education Domonique McCartney Russell underscored the value of play in child development, adding: “In order to provide holistic and globally competitive education, play is a vital component. It’s important for cognition, social development, physical skills, and even emotional well-being. We are truly grateful for this partnership.”
DISNEY regional public affairs director Joey Gaskins.
Photo: N ikia Charlton
WEMYSS Bight Primary School children celebrate the completion of its new playground by Disney with a special community event.
Photos: Nikia Charlton
Head of Eleuthera’s Chamber of Commerce raises concerns for Family Island businesses
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
THE president of Eleuthera’s Chamber of Commerce has raised concerns about the challenges facing local businesses in the Family Islands and is calling on the government to provide crucial support.
Mr Thomas Sands’ comments to reporters on Friday came on the sidelines of the Disney Cruise Line (DCL) launch of its new corporate social responsibility initiative, The Play Project, in Central and
South Eleuthera.
While acknowledging the significant economic growth driven by Disney Cruise Line’s investment in Eleuthera, Mr Sands highlighted a critical issue: the lack of incentives and concessions for established local businesses in the Family Islands.
“If an economy is to grow in these locations, the baseline, the community, has to grow simultaneously,” Mr Sands said. “You need to incentivise the local businesses to reinvest in their economies at the lowest price points to refurbish
their businesses, to go to energy-efficient equipment. All these things need to happen.”
He warned that Family Island communities’ risk economic decline without targeted government support. He urged the Davis administration to extend the same level of concessions and incentives offered to businesses in New Providence.
When asked about the chamber’s conversations with the government and their response to these challenges, Mr Sands said: “The Chamber of Commerce
over the last ten years or more, have had successive discussions, written to successive governments and administrations about this specific topic and I feel that we have not achieved much.”
“I think there’s been a focus on concessions incentives for new businesses, but the economies of Family Islands, 90 percent of local economies are built and maintained by established businesses that know the challenges, that know the ropes, that have to put in place the redundancies,” Mr Sands added.
Bartender saves life of man who suffered seizure at Paradise Island
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A BARTENDER
became a lifesaver on Saturday after diving into the waters at Paradise Island in freezing rain to save a man suffering a seizure and perform CPR.
He emphasised that businesses that have remained committed to operating in the Family Islands deserve stronger support, noting the distinct challenges they face compared to businesses in Nassau and Grand Bahama.
Mr Sands stressed that while attracting new businesses is important, existing businesses form the backbone of Family Island economies.
Meanwhile, on the tourism front, he highlighted concerns about accommodation shortages in Airbnbs and hotels, as well as gaps in airlift capacity.
“I understand on the tourism side, with airlift, they also say there’s a void of accommodation in the Airbnb’s and hotels and so forth. You need to incentivise the local businesses to reinvest in their economies at the lowest price points, at the lowest cost points to refurbish their businesses, to go to energy-efficient equipment. All these things need to happen. Of course, funding comes behind that but again, the same level of concessions and incentives that take place in those locations we need to have,” he said.
PHA BL A MES WE AT HER FOR BIO- HA Z A RDOUS WA STE REMOVA L DEL AYS
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
THE Public Hospitals Authority said delays in the disposal of bio-hazardous waste at Rand Memorial Hospital are due to poor weather or the availability of private transportation services.
Bio-hazardous waste is transported by sea to New Providence for incineration.
In a statement, the PHA assured the public that bio-hazardous waste at Rand Memorial Hospital is managed according to established protocols and international health and safety standards. This includes proper sorting, packaging, and transport to ensure the safety of patients, staff, and the wider community.
“While we strive for timely and uninterrupted waste disposal, there are
occasional delays due to weather conditions or the availability of private transportation services,” the statement read. In such cases, the PHA collaborates with key partners, including the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, to ensure safe and efficient transport. The authority emphasised that even during unavoidable delays, bio-hazardous waste is stored in compliance with health and safety regulations.
The PHA encourages the public to direct any concerns to the client feedback hotline at 1(242) 350-6700 ext. 2079 for Rand Memorial Hospital or 1(242) 825-3438 for Princess Margaret Hospital.
“We appreciate the public’s understanding and trust as we continue to uphold the highest standards of healthcare waste management,” the statement concluded.
Young GB man dies in Eleuthera car crash
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A FAMILY is in mourning after a young man who recently moved to Eleuthera from Grand Bahama died in a car accident on the island on Friday.
February 7. He died at the scene from his injuries. The car was extensively damaged.
A relative identified the deceased as Antonasio Miller, also known as Caleb or Perez.
His uncle described him as “a realist” and said he had recently moved to Eleuthera from Freeport.
Mr Bain said he heard a woman scream for help amidst the pouring rain.
While his manager called emergency services, he ran toward the deck and saw a man unconscious in the water.
He explained that the victim had suffered a
Daryl Bain, 40, recounted the heroic rescue in an interview with The Tribune , describing how he and his bar team sprang into action when they were alerted to the emergency near Hurricane Hole Marina.
seizure and hit his head on the deck after falling off a boat.
Acting quickly, Mr Bain managed to drag the deckhand out of the water and performed CPR, ultimately saving the man’s life.
With 26 years of experience in the tourism industry, Mr Bain said his younger colleagues suggested he should ask for compensation for the
rescue, but he insisted that his actions were motivated by a desire to save a life and uphold the country’s international image.
“So you know, I have a lot of young persons who look up to me also,” he said. “They’re telling me gradually ‘congratulations, I hope they compensate you.’ But it’s not that. We live in a small country, 21 by 7, you know the tabloids and stuff.”
Police said the victim was the sole occupant of a gold coloured Nissan Bluebird that crashed into a building in Upper Bogue around 6.45pm on
“The family is extremely saddened by his passing,” he said.
Police said investigations are ongoing.
BARTENDER Daryl Bain
Five-year sentence a ‘dangerous message’
dangerous message - that even when survivors, at great expense to themselves, formally report and suffer through the court process, justice is an unlikely outcome in the current system where individuals have the power of discretion and use it to privilege criminals.”
She was among several activists who spoke to The Tribune yesterday, condemning the sentence.
The father, whose name is withheld to protect the minors’ identities, was charged with two counts of indecent assault after reportedly rubbing the genitals of one of his daughters and climbing on top of her between June and July last year.
His teenage daughter, who witnessed the incident, wept as she recounted what happened, leading him to change his plea on Friday.
Khandi Gibson, an advocate for violence victims, said he should have faced a harsher punishment.
send stronger, stiffer messages to these would be perpetrators.”
Free National Movement Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis also called the sentence “too lenient,” saying it sends the wrong message about the seriousness of such crimes.
“Five years, I mean that means he gets out of jail as these girls are going into puberty,” she told The Tribune yesterday. “It sends the message that this is a tap on the wrist and honestly, it’s heartbreaking.”
Under the Sexual Offences Act, a person convicted of indecent assault could face up to eight years if tried on information and three years if tried summarily.
Although the man’s lawyers initially sought a four-year sentence for the double indecent assault charge, Senior Justice Cheryl GrantThompson ultimately sentenced him to five years – with both Mrs Gibson and Mrs Barnett-Ellis thanking the judge for not bowing to pressure from the defence team.
lenient but we want to see a continued increase in the term of imprisonment for crimes against women and children,” said Mrs Barnett-Ellis
She also ordered that he be enrolled in sexual abuse counselling. Additionally, the convict was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation and be enrolled in the prison’s work programme.
“You see these sentences and you hear comments by members of the executive and you realise that protecting women is simply not a priority,” Mrs Barnett-Ellis added.
“On more than one occasion, I’ve called for sentencing guidelines. I still haven’t gotten them yet and I am hoping that we get sentencing guidelines, we will see recommendations for stronger sentences when people are accused of sexual assault and rape.”
“He should not even be able to see the sight of day outside the prison walls,” she said. “We need to
For her part, Ms Wallace called on the government to address the need for reparations for survivors whose lives are permanently altered by violent acts committed by perpetrators. from page one
“The term suggested by the attorney was too
MAN SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS JAIL AFTER ADM ITTING TO MOLESTING TWIN DAUGHTERS
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A 37-YEAR-OLD father was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday after he admitted to molesting his twin 3-year-old daughters in 2024. This came after he changed his plea minutes after his 16-year-old daughter wept given testimony as she recalled watching the incident.
One of the twin victims is also autistic.
Senior Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson rendered her verdict on what would’ve been the first day of the convict’s trial of two counts of indecent assault.
Prosecutors state that the convict sometime between July 1 and July 30, 2024 in New Providence rubbed the privates of one of his threeyear-old daughters.
During this same time frame, the convict reportedly climbed on top of one of his young daughters and gyrated up and down the child’s body.
The convict was reportedly naked in both instances.
Two police officers had already submitted their testimony in the matter and the convict’s teenage daughter had begun to submit her testimony before the defendant reversed his earlier position and pleaded guilty to charge.
The teenage witness had tears in her eyes as she recounted to the court the night she saw her father molest one of her younger siblings.
She claimed that she and
her siblings all slept in the same room as her father. She said on that fateful night she saw her father naked above her young sister. She fought back tears as she said she saw her father’s hand touching her baby sister’s privates, saying “his hand was just there.”
She said that her father looked startled when he saw her looking at him.
The convict apologised for his actions. He apologised directly to his teenage daughter telling her he wasn’t mad and that he still loves her. He also apologised for what his daughter saw him do to the twins.
The victim’s mother was also present for the convict’s apology.
Sonia Timothy Knowles, the convict’s attorney, said that her client had accepted the seriousness of the offence. After acknowledging the prevalence of similar crimes in society, Mrs Knowles said that the convict did the honorable thing changing his plea to spare his daughter continuing her testimony.
In addition to his relatively early plea, Mrs Knowles stated that her client was capable of rehabilitation and had no priors. Mrs Knowles asked for mercy on her client’s behalf and suggested a four-year prison term for the offence. She also stated that the convict had been in custody since August 5, 2024.
While Mrs Knowles stated that no child should have to go through this, she requested that her client go through psychiatric counseling.
Cordell Frazier, the
Director of Public Prosecutions, agreed that the defendant was capable of rehabilitation and found the defense’s suggested prison term acceptable.
However, while Ms Frazier expressed that she was happy the convict accepted responsibility, she called for his sentence to send a strong message to society to act as a deterrent to similar crimes.
While Justice Thompson acknowledged the convict had a spent causing harm conviction, she stated that had no bearing on her sentencing.
Justice Thompson told the defendant that his daughter was “awash” with tears as he made her relive the traumatic experience before changing his plea. She also stated that the convict had breached his children’s trust.
Despite this, the Justice found that the convict was capable of rehabilitation. She also said that his sentence should act as a deterrent to similar crimes.
During the 37-year-old’s five-year incarceration, which takes affect from the day of his conviction, Justice Thompson ordered that he be enrolled in sexual abuse counseling. The convict was also ordered to receive a psychological evaluation and be enrolled in the prison’s work program.
Justice Thompson also recommended that the convict’s family also receive counseling.
In addition to Ms Frazier, Kristin Butler Beneby served as one of the prosecutors.
MAN ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT OF WOM AN
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter
A 30-YEAR-OLD man was remanded into custody on Friday after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 29-year-old woman last month.
Assistant Chief Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans arraigned Charles Sealy III on Indecent Assault. Prosecutors allege that the defendant took off the female complainant’s underwear and rubbed her vagina and buttocks on January 30. Sealy was not required to enter a plea at that time. He was informed that his matter would proceed to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).
The defendant will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. He was informed of his right to apply for bail through the higher court.
Sealy will return to court for potential service of his VBI on May 21.
Assistant Superintendent of Police S Coakley served as the prosecutor.
The Tribune Limited
NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI
“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972
Contributing Editor 1972-1991
RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.
Publisher/Editor 1972-
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Problem of sex offenders anonymity
IN this country, we give preferential treatment to rapists and sex offenders who target their own family members. Today in The Tribune, you will read about a man being jailed for five years for molesting his own twin daughters.
The sentence seems very light – not least of all as you read that he only changed his plea to guilty after his 16-year-old daughter had to go through the trauma of testifying to what she saw.
But while we heard some of the horrifying details of the case – and wondered how a five-year sentence could be appropriate – there is one thing that will not be publicly known.
The guilty man’s name will not be publicly revealed.
His name is known, of course. But while the names of murders and robbers and fraudsters are reported routinely, the guilty party in a case such as this remains anonymous.
Naming criminals is important – it is indeed part of the process of justice.
As the old maxim goes, justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done.
There are reasons for this. For example, if a person is known to be guilty, other victims may come forward having seen who faced trial. Other crimes may come to light. Conversely, those who can provide further evidence that could find a person innocent can come forward with such information.
But where a murderer’s name is known, certain types of sex offender may end up sitting back in a bar with their crimes unknown.
The reason for keeping someone’s identity anonymous in cases like this is not about the criminal, it is about the victim.
As a rule, we as a society seek to protect the identities of those who are victims of sex offences.
Where a rapist attacks a stranger, for example, their names are revealed.
Should that same person attack a family member, their names are protected – in order to ensure the identity of the victim is protected.
If for example a man rapes a family member, to name him while the family relationship is known would reveal the identity of the victim.
And so the criminal gets away with public shame. And people who might become future victims never know this person was a sex attacker.
There is another way.
In other jurisdictions, the criminal is named – and yet the anonymity of the victim is preserved.
How is this done?
The criminal is afforded no more protection than any killer or robber or thief.
What happens instead is that the standard procedure for reporting such crimes is that the perpetrator is identified in reporting of the case, but the relationship with the victim is blurred.
So as an example, a man might be described as having raped a 13-year-old victim without identifying if that was a daughter, a niece, a family relative or any connection.
There are challenges – all the media has to do the same thing. So you cannot have one outlet reporting that John Doe raped a 13-year-old victim while another reports the same day that a man raped his 13-year-old daughter. Someone reading both reports can put two and two together. This is called jigsaw identification – where people can put the pieces together and you end up with exactly what you want to avoid, the victim being named.
But we can protect the victim and hold the criminal to account in exactly the same way we hold every other criminal to account. So why do we protect those who sexually violate their own family members in ways we do not protect any other criminal?
There is another way. We can identify them in the public eye, and we can protect other potential victims – all while still protecting victims from being identified.
That would stop this current two-tier justice, and stop protecting some of the most vile criminals in our midst.
Has standard of living gotten better?
EDITOR, The Tribune.
FROM 2021 to now has the standard of living increased or decreased?
The role of a government is not to increase taxes, labour wages or even get too involved in the day to day of the private sector. The more government regulations, the more, inflation, the more taxes, the more inflation, the more minimum wage increases the more inflation.
The job of a government is to bring the cost of living down to accommodate the wages being paid and pass bills to create infrastructure to make it easier for the smaller people to thrive in an economy. On the other hand when these governments come in they become arrogant and
have all the answers and only respond to their lobbyists, cronies and promote nepotism. Personally for both sides of the political divide, they all do it once they get in the seats. Then the so-called party delegates have the audacity to say, we can’t please everyone once they themselves are being serviced. But what I’m happy for is, as there is no loyalty to the majority that put you there in these seats, the electorates are now becoming less loyal to parties like they once were. Because political parties for too long has been using our money as leverage to manipulate voters at everyone’s expense. The once stronghold areas in many
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Need real Bahamian vision now
EDITOR, The Tribune.
constituencies are finding themselves as swing voters as the old guards in the form of grandparents and great grandparents are leaving off the scene and the new generation is loyal to nobody.
You older politicians that mistreated the people step up to the front line. The fight remains between FNM and PLP alone, but this election will be interesting. The fun is done now, keep the same energy many of you had when first elected, don’t act humble now, we won’t be buying the fake humility. Ask Doc Minis if that works anymore.
BAHAMIAN TYCOON Nassau, February 2, 2025.
IN 2017, the world witnessed a political anomaly unfold. Donald Trump, a man with no prior experience in governance, took the helm of the United States. To many, he was a political neophyte, a political loner, an outsider who, despite his wealth, was viewed as a reject of Washington’s establishment. Skeptics scoffed, likening his rise to theatrics—an extension of his television persona from The Apprentice, or a real estate mogul playing politics much like Ronald Reagan, who transitioned from Hollywood to the White House decades before. Yet, despite every obstacle, Trump captivated the imagination of a nation. His message? Make America Great Again. It was more than a slogan—it was a nostalgic call to action, an appeal to a national identity many feared was slipping away. He framed his policies around American self-sufficiency, economic revival, and the restoration of national pride. By the time he took office, his movement had already been cemented in the hearts and minds of millions. From 2017 onward, his strategy leaned heavily on tradition—strengthening borders, revitalising manufacturing, and invoking a more protectionist economic stance. Even as the world evolved, he remained tethered to old-school economic principles, initially dismissing emergent sectors like Bitcoin and digital finance. Through tariffs, executive orders, and nationalistic rhetoric, he reinforced a vision that was not just about governance, but a revival of America’s former glory.
Fast forward to 2024, and despite the controversies, legal battles, and global shifts, Trump wins and remains a force in American politics. What has kept him afloat? His big vision. His ability to paint an image of a restored, powerful America—a vision that transcends party lines, economic classes, and racial identities. He has since expanded his approach, integrating youthful advisors, new technologies, and a modernized economic plan. Yet, at its core, his vision remains the same compelling force that ignited his first campaign. It is a lesson in political storytelling—one that reminds us of the power of a grand vision that unites people beyond party loyalty.
Here in The Bahamas, we must ask: Have we ever been given a vision so grand, so compelling, that it captures the soul of our people and pulls them forward into the future? Or have we been sold seasonal slogans, momentary political catchphrases that disappear once the election dust settles? We have seen glimpses of big visions, but none have been fully realised.
in The Sunshine” and (Hubert Ingraham, FNM): Ingraham’s Free National Movement ushered in economic liberalization, transparency, and infrastructure expansion. His administration promised better, and for a moment, there was movement toward a new national trajectory. However, like many reform efforts before and after, it stopped short of redefining our economy in a way that benefited all Bahamians.
Bahamians” (Perry Christie, PLP): The Progressive Liberal Party’s 2012 campaign revolved around national empowerment— the idea that Bahamians should own, shape, and control their economic destiny. It should have been a turning point, a rallying cry for industry creation, education reform, and local economic ownership. Instead, it became another empty mantra that never materialised into real systemic change.
Both slogans could have been guiding philosophies—an opportunity to truly elevate the nation. But they lacked the execution and endurance to rise beyond politics and become a national movement. They were tides that could have lifted all ships— but instead, the waterline never rose high enough.
In today’s Bahamas, what is our unifying goal? Have we had a leader step forward in the last decade to present a bold, transformational idea that speaks to every Bahamian, regardless of party, class, or background? We cannot continue waiting for the global economy to dictate our next move. We need leaders who anticipate, strategize, and act boldly—not for political convenience, but for national advancement.
A true vision for The Bahamas must include:
1. A Roadmap Beyond the Election Cycle – Our vision cannot be tied to five-year political terms. We need a 30-40-year plan that charts an economic, social, and infrastructural evolution.
2. An Idea Bigger than Any One Leader – This cannot be a mere party slogan. It must be a movement so grand that it requires educators, entrepreneurs, religious leaders, civil servants, and business owners to build it together.
3. The Fusion of Tradition and Technology – We must honor our past while embracing the future. Our heritage and independence matter, but we cannot remain stagnant while the world advances. The Bahamas must position itself for the digital economy, climate resilience, and global trade expansion.
This is not just about politics. This is about identity, legacy, and long-term prosperity.
Donald Trump weathered political storms, not because of his wealth and or influenced, he survived and towered over his tribulation because his vision was bigger than himself. It became a movement. He embedded it so deeply into American political culture that, despite opposition, it remains arguably one of the most defining rallying cries in modern politics. The Bahamas deserves leadership that dares to think this big. We need a concrete economic agenda that puts Bahamian ownership at the forefront. We need an education overhaul that prepares our people for the future, not just for traditional jobs. We need an infrastructure revolution that builds a sustainable, resilient Bahamas capable of competing in a 21st-century world.
We have every tool necessary: the resources, the strategic location, the people, and the untapped potential. What we lack is the courageous vision to bring it all together.
Enough with the seasonal slogans.
Enough with waiting for external approval.
Enough with passivity in the face of global change.
The time for a real Bahamian vision is now. A vision that rises above politics, unites the people, and creates a future we can all believe in.
Howard Grant
February 9, 2025.
PHILADELPHIA Eagles running back Saquon Barkley’s daughter Jada looks at the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, yesterday in New Orleans.
Photo: Ashley Landis/AP
Cleare says prison work programme ‘safe’ as FNM deputy leader raises concerns
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
FNM deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright called on government to provide clarity on its prison work programme, highlighting “concerning” reports of prisoners being involved in the construction and renovation of private homes in western New Providence.
In a press statement, Mr Cartwright questioned whether the initiative was a legitimate works programme authorised by the Ministry of National Security.
He also asked for clarification on its framework, scope, and compliance with Bahamas Department of Correctional Services regulations.
In response, prison commissioner Doan Cleare defended the Inmate Industries Programme, calling it a safe initiative that greatly benefits prisoners.
He explained that the inmates involved are carefully vetted and are only
selected if they are within six to eight months of release.
“They are vetted by the psychiatrist. They go through a whole vigorous programme before they are placed on the streets,” he told The Tribune Mr Cartwright emphasised that while he has no issue with prisoners being given the opportunity to work for self-sufficiency, public awareness and notification are necessary.
He added that many Bahamians found the idea of prisoners working on private homes “alarming and inappropriate”.
However, Commissioner Cleare dismissed these concerns, giving assurance that the programme is safe and has been operating for the past two and a half years.
He said the work scheme was modelled after a similar initiative in Canada.
He further explained that inmates participating in the programme are monitored while working with private contractors, and only those who are within six to eight months
of release are selected for the programme.
“If the leader of the opposition would have called me, I could have explained the programme to him or to anyone else,” he said. “But it is a good, workable programme and it is paying tremendous dividends for inmates.”
The prison commissioner added that many of the men enrolled in the programme leave prison with thousands of dollars in their accounts and often express their intention to start their own landscaping or construction businesses.
He stressed that the goal of the programme, and correctional facilities as a whole, is to rehabilitate prisoners and equip them with the tools necessary to contribute positively to society upon their release.
He added: “Rehabilitation is more than just putting them in classroom and say, ‘oh, you change.’
We have to teach them skills, meaningful skills, and we have to, before they are released, they have to have something in their pockets.”
“Because I can guarantee you if they go or they’re broke (and) no place to live, they will commit crime again so it is my job as the leader of the institution to give them a better chance of surviving upon their peace. That’s all the programme, the Inmate Industries is. They give them a better chance.”
This is not the first time officials have defended a prison work release programme.
Last year, several residents contacted this newspaper after spotting Kevin Patrick Hanna, who was convicted of killing his family in 1984, in public and questioned whether he had been released. Commissioner Cleare explained that Mr Hanna was part of a prison work release programme and said it was time for the public to accept that some offenders will eventually be reintegrated into society.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER DEFENDS HIS APPOINTMENT AGAINST CRITICISM FROM FNM
By E ARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
DEPUTY Commissioner Anthony Rolle defended his appointment amid criticism from the Free National Movement (FNM).
“I have 35 years in this Royal Bahamas Police Force. So if that don’t count for something, then I don’t know what do. I’ve put in the work and God has rewarded me. Promotion doesn’t come from man, you know. Doesn’t come from the east, doesn’t come from the West, not as South, but from God,” he told The Tribune at the sideline of an event.
Former National Security Minister Marvin Dames told The Tribune last week that contract awards to senior police officers have increased under the Davis administration, arguing that the absence of welldefined guidelines for awarding such contracts undermines the force’s independence.
Asked about Mr Dames bringing up his contracts, he said: “I have nothing to say on that one” and then proceed to walk off.
Latrae Rahming, director of communications in the Office of the Prime Minister, said Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis directed the cancellation of a nearly $1m contract awarded to a company founded by Deputy Commissioner of Police Anthony Rolle, Mr Rahming said DCP Rolle also volunteered to end the contract due to his more senior appointment.
In February 2024, Priority Security Services secured a $947,000 contract to provide security services for the Post Office Department.
Last month, Free National Movement leader Michael Pintard said he
wrote to Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, expressing strong opposition to his intention to appoint Anthony Rolle as deputy commissioner of police.
Despite his objection, Mr Rolle and Kirkwood Andrews were sworn in as deputy commissioners at Government House on Sunday.
Before their promotions, Mr Rolle served as an assistant commissioner of police, while Mr Andrews held the position of senior assistant commissioner.
As part of his constitutional requirement to consult the opposition leader on such appointments, Mr Davis told Mr Pintard about his choices before the men were appointed.
Mr Pintard said he told Mr Davis he did not oppose Mr Andrews’s appointment as senior deputy commissioner, just as he did not oppose Shanta Knowles’ appointment as commissioner.
As part of his constitutional requirement to consult the opposition leader on such appointments, Mr Davis told Mr Pintard about his choices before the men were appointed.
“ASP Rolle is not regarded as what is needed at this critical juncture to spearhead the restitution of the reputation of the Royal Bahamas Police Force,” he told The Tribune.
“His appointment, we warned the prime minister in our response, may very well undermine the government’s stated goal of reforming the organistion and furthermore, and you can see by the CV that they provided, he does not possess the skillset and breadth of experience needed to devise and implement a strategic policing plan, which is desperately needed at this time.”
The Office of the Prime Minister released a statement condemning Mr Pintard’s
commentary about Mr Rolle as “irresponsible”. Mr Davis said Mr Pintard’s comments were “unfounded and unhelpful”. He described Mr Rolle as a “leader who has
dedicated decades of service to protecting our communities, often at great personal sacrifices”.
BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2025
What’s the benefit of hosting rocket landing?
By MALCOLM STRACHAN
ON January 16 this year, just after sunset, the skies lit up in flames over parts of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Pictures and video soon started whizzing around social media showing streaks of fire and debris across the early evening sky. Was it a meteor? No. Aliens? Definitely not. It was in fact the SpaceX Starship. You could say it exploded – with typical understatement, the company called it a “rapid unscheduled disassembly”.
The cause, according to preliminary reports, was
leaking fuel that built up pressure in the cavity above the engine firewall. That burst into flames, soon after so did the rest of the craft. Flights near the falling debris had to be diverted, according to the Federal Aviation Authority, and after the videos of the shooting stars of the rocket’s remnants stopped circulating, soon came the pictures of piles of debris found in the Turks and Caicos from the “disassembly”. A resident there told CNN of the boom she heard even from inside, while one of the dogs panicked.
Outside next morning, she found broken hexagon
tiles that were probably part of the Starship’s heat shield across the roadway and the nearby beach. Other parts were floating in the ocean.
No one was harmed, and only one incident of property damage was reported – a car that was struck - but the explosion has raised questions.
A “Debris Response Area” was set up by the FAA, and debris was reportedly found all over the islands according to the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund. It would be a one in a million chance to be hit by the debris though, right? Well,
as it turns out that is the probability that is used. The FAA says SpaceX has to map out the “hazard areas sufficient to ensure that the probability of casualty to a member of the public on land or on board a maritime vessel does not exceed one in one million… No Caribbean islands, including Turks and Caicos, exceeded this threshold.”
For their part, SpaceX on its website urged people to refrain from touching debris, and to contact SpaceX about it instead.
By the time people found out about that, plenty had picked up and piled up the debris. No specific nature of the possible damage was spelled out – leaving people to wonder what the impact would be if they didn’t pick it up and just left it there in the environment.
The danger lies in any possible chemicals that might remain on the debris – or even the risk of some parts of fuel tanks that could be unstable and potentially blow up. It is unlikely, but not worth the risk.
Environmental campaigners in the Turks and Caicos meanwhile were unaware of efforts to evaluate the environmental footprint from the explosion.
Elon Musk, meanwhile, said on X, formerly Twitter, that the explosion was “barely a bump in the road” in his plans to fly people to Mars on board more Starships.
Overlooked in the focus on the explosion was a part of the mission that was a success.
One of the most eyecatching part of the SpaceX missions has been the landing of the boosters used to propel the vehicle skywards.
On the mission in question, that happened just as planned, the booster rocket being caught in its cradle just as planned.
And now SpaceX is coming our way, here in The Bahamas, for just such a landing.
On February 17, off the coast of The Exumas, the Falcon 9 booster rocket will come down from the skies and land, announced with much fanfare by Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper.
Mr Cooper also holds the title of Minister of Tourism, and was eager to tout the positive side of what this might mean for The Bahamas, putting us in view of the global spotlight.
His ministry said that senior officials “are fully engaged to ensure all safety, regulatory, and operational measures are in place for the scheduled landing. Every effort is being made to facilitate this historic event while maintaining the highest standards”.
Details about things such as environment impact assessments were not forthcoming.
Back when the possibility of such a landing, environmentalists raised concerns.
Among them was Joe Darville, as persistent a voice in protecting The Bahamas as you will find. After the date of the landing was announced, he repeated the same concerns.
He does not overstate the case, saying that in the past there have not been catastrophic results from rockets landing in the ocean, but wanting to be sure that caution will be exercised.
Mr Darville talked of the risk to wildlife, particularly birds, and said that the public should, no… must be informed of any risks.
All perfectly valid concerns, very reasonably expressed.
A previous explosion for Starship in 2023, the first launch in fact, destroyed not just the rocket, but also the launchpad. Debris went flying through the air to land as much as six miles away.
After that incident, the deputy vice president of conservation programmes at the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) in the US,
Sarah Gaines Barmeyer, said: “It’s hard to watch these huge explosions. The amount of environmental destruction they cause with the debris, and the potential for fires, air and water pollution – we would like to see more security and testing before we’re launching spaceships near protected areas.”
Look across to Russia and the effects of space travel at its Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan, the world’s first spaceport, and you will find the surrounding area badly affected by carcinogenic fuel.
The Bahamas government has yet to outline the monitoring that will be carried out before and after the launch to ensure the protection of the environment – nor indeed have we learned, to put it bluntly, what is in it for us?
A foreign company in pursuit of goals that have nothing to do with our nation’s goals wants to use our environment to park their rockets in – so other than some photo opportunities and a chance to get an up-close look at some frontline science, how do we benefit?
Will this be repeat business, or is this one and done? How much are we being paid to accommodate this?
Should there be a “rapid disassembly” and our waters be filled with fuel and debris, what will the cost of clean-up be? Will it affect the resources we have been touting as important for climate change carbon credits? What will be the impact of that?
And what will it look like as we say to others to cut emissions while welcoming a rocket landing on our literal doorstep? All of this is not to say we should not be part of the march of scientific progress – but we’d better be sure what we’re getting out of the deal. If the deal’s not good enough, go park your rocket elsewhere.
DOZENS of payloads were launched by SpaceX on its Falcon 9 Rocket as part of its Bandwagon-2 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base December 21, 2024 Image: Screen Capture/AP
Jeremiah 33
1
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
2
Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name;
3
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
4
For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword;
5
They come to fght with the Chaldeans, but it is to fll them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.
6
Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.
7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the frst.
8
And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
9
And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.
10Thus saith the Lord; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,
11The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifce of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the frst, saith the Lord.
12Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their focks to lie down.
13In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the focks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the Lord.
14Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
15In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
16In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.
17For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
18Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifce continually.
19And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying,
20Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;
21Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
22As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.
23Moreover the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,
24Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the Lord hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.
25Thus saith the Lord; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;
26Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.
Now Britain is a ‘frightened society’
JOHN MARQUIS, who was The Tribune’s Managing Editor for ten years, believes his homelandGreat Britain - is facing a cultural and economic abyss, and that a miracle is needed to save it from disaster.
WHENEVER the subjects of democracy and free speech have come up for discussion during my eighty-one years of life, I’ve always felt safe in citing Britain - “the mother country” - as the gold standard for civilised living.
Its great traditions, its unparalleled achievements, its glorious art and literature, its free press, its legal system, its governmental prowess have always been firm evidence of its preeminence in the field of human endeavour.
The rainy little island nation on the fringes of north-west Europe struck out to create the greatest empire ever known. It spread the greatest language around the world, it created some of the greatest books, much of its greatest art and music, and pioneered and invented some of the greatest scientific achievements of modern times.
It was never perfect. It was always tainted - and to some extent, still is - by a vile class system which has systematically kept down working-class talent, and promoted the interests of an “upper class” - big laugh - that is staggeringly unaccomplished.
But something is happening now that actually threatens to undermine, and ultimately destroy, the land of Shakespeare as we know it.
Since the turn of the century - a mere 25 years - Britain has been polluted, and I use the word advisedly, by alien cultures that threaten everything it stands for. Millions of immigrants, many of them with far from good intentions, have ghettoised our towns and cities, terrorised old-established communities, and sought to subjugate the country’s customs and unique way of life.
There are now EIGHTYFIVE sharia courts operating in Britain. There is a Muslim Council, a muslim political organisation, and muslim politicians who wish to introduce archaic blasphemy laws to curb free expression in a largely secular society that ditched religious conflict and bigotry decades ago.
We were treated, very recently, to the indignity of a British mother begging for compassion from a conclave of mullahs because her small son had accidentally scuffed a copy of the Koran. We have a British teacher who has been in hiding for four years - under threat by islamic extremists - because he dared to show a picture of the Prophet to his pupils.
We have had militant islamists crying out for jihad on the streets of London. Jewish families - many descended from victims of the holocaust - are now afraid to go out in public because of the threat of pro-Gaza activists’ reprisals.
Worse still, the so-called “ordinary” working people of Britain are under threat of imprisonment if they express dismay online about the detrimental effect of the liberal lobby’s disastrous experiment in multi-culturalism and diversity.
Can you imagine a woman being intimidated by police for offering silent prayers outside an abortion clinic? Well, it happened in
Britain, when the officers demanded to know what she was thinking. Believe it or not, the article you are reading now would probably not pass muster with Britain’s Thought Police because it might be deemed to contain “hate” material.
A prominent British journalist was bullied by police a few months ago because she “tweeted” something online that hinted at “islamophobia”, which is one of the new buzzwords of the Left.
Migrants from the Middle East are not the only problem as Britain undergoes a damaging transformation. Older people, in particular, believe the nation they knew in their youth is vanishing from under their feet.
Knife and machete crime has rocketed in London and other inner city areas.
Rambo and zombie knives are the weapons of choice for lawless drug gangs fighting turf wars in the back alleys of urban Britain. Drive-by shootings are now a feature of the British criminal landscape. Negative aspects of African and Caribbean life have been imported en masse.
One in 12 London dwellers are illegal migrants. My dear late brother Reg described his home town, Leicester, as “an Asian city”. The great northern conurbations have undergone massive demographic transformations, so that little of traditional English life remains there.
The distinctive working class culture of London’s East End has now all but disappeared. The famous pie-and-mash shops are vanishing fast. Meanwhile, the East London mosque in Whitechapel still retains separate doors for males and females, an anachronism wholly at odds with the country’s so-called “progressive” ideals, which include gender equality.
Indigenous Brits are bottom of the country’s crime table. The descent into routine criminality is due almost entirely to alien invaders.
Even a left-wing lawyer confessed to me that eighty per cent of London’s violent crime is now carried out by migrant villains. Grooming gangs, many of Pakistani stock, are raping and effectively enslaving white working class girls, most of them vulnerable because of poor home backgrounds.
Albanians, Rumanians and other Eastern European groups are at the centre of a growing gang culture in East Anglia. A rash of phone-snatching, shoplifting, muggings and casual violence and robbery is making life a misery in many small and midsized towns across the land. If you think all this is terrible, it gets worse when you consider that it’s all happening against an Orwellian backdrop in which the police - instead of investigating true crime like burglary and shoplifting - are tracking social media abuse, seeking to
curb perceived “islamophobia” or “non-crime hate incidents”, especially those which offend the woke orthodoxy.
George Orwell would have seen modern Britain as an absolute vindication of his theories in his seminal novel, Nineteen Eighty Four. There is now a Big Brother feel about a society once famous for free speech, widespread tolerance, its Speakers’ Corner, its mother of parliaments, its absolute commitment to political and religious freedom and its salty non-woke sense of humour.
Now there is genuine fear of official action if “unacceptable” things are said in public or online. Traditional English “mickey-taking” comedy is now virtually outlawed. Great comics of the 1960s and 70s like Frankie Howard and Les Dawson would be persona non grata now. A cloak of po-faced piety has stifled levity across the land.
There is a two-tier policing system that jails people for an indiscreet remark on Twitter but allows free rein to the mobs that gather in London every weekend to spout anti-semitic bile.
In fact, only two days ago it was suggested that even use of the phrase “twotier policing” could be in breach of new socialist diktats. And any reference to “grooming gangs” or “islamic extremists” could be seen as unlawful.
What’s more, the government is proposing to outlaw “hurty words” in pubs, traditionally hotbeds of spirited debate of all kinds. Thus, an ancient institution in which robust conversation was always part of its appeal, now faces twin attacks on its very existence, with massive taxes on drinks, and a sneaks’ charter in the public bar, where drinkers will never feel safe from illintentioned eavesdroppers and snoopers.
The recently elected Labour government, led by the reviled lawyer Keir Starmer, has compounded the problem by wilfully ignoring, or seeking to discredit, the genuine fears of everyday Brits.
He routinely refers to anti-immigration protesters as “far right thugs” and dithers on curbing immigration.
He is so mendacious and incompetent that he makes the late Bahamian prime minister Lynden Pindling look like Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill or Franklin Delano Roosevelt, all wrapped up in one.
In fact, The Tribune’s resounding defeat of Pindling’s anti-press legislation in 1969 left The Bahamas with an enviable legacy, an environment in which
free speech is established as a right and a necessity. I regret to say that the same cannot be said for modern Britain, where the Magna Carta established our rights in 1215 and laid the foundations for free societies everywhere.
Today, Britain struggles under a socialist government that hasn’t done a thing right since it was elected in July, 2024. It is crippled by misguided ideology and inbuilt ineptitude. “Mere Keir”, as I call him, is as useless as a chocolate fireguard and much more dangerous.
With billionaires and entrepreneurs taking flight, Britain’s economy is flatlining and stagnating at an alarming rate. Morale in the business community is at an all-time low. None of the institutions work properly, the National Health Service is collapsing, law enforcement is immobilised by woke absurdity, and taxpayers face unprecedented raids on their money, whether it be savings, pensions or current income.
Farmers, who provide much of our food, are under the cosh from a robotic chancellor who is imposing crippling inheritance tax on their land. Several have already committed suicide because they foresaw their estates being taken apart by a pitiless party with no respect or regard for Britain’s uniquely beautiful rural areas.
The left-leaning civil service assumes power over our lives and promotes, under-handedly, policies we never voted for. We are living, whether we like it or not, under a system riven with left-wing dogma and woke objectives. And the elitists in Labour’s hierarchy display, every day, the kind of arrogance and high-handedness that, despite their proclamations of equality, echo Orwell’s cynical observation that, in the left-wing mindset “some are more equal than others”.
The best of Britain’s brains are seeking a way out. Young people see few signs of hope. And, to put the cap on it, five million more immigrants are expected to pour ashore by 2032, taking the country’s population to a staggering, and unsustainable, 72,000,000. At the present rate, more than twenty per cent of the electorate will be muslim by 2050.
With very few exceptions, I’ve always rated politicians third-rate and lower, essentially self-serving mediocrities with no talent, no principles and no conscience to speak of. But I’ve never encountered anyone quite so lamentably awful as the execrable
Starmer and the coven of airheads who make up his calamitous cabinet.
After just six months in power, they have left Britain deeply dispirited, despondent and close to despair. Most of those who voted Labour to power now say they would never do so again. A country that won two world wars last century, and established a reputation for indomitable spirit and relentless grit, is now powerless in the face of a daily invasion by undocumented aliens whose interests are placed above those of the British people.
Every day, I am forced to reflect that we, the British, are at the mercy of a dogma-driven administration whose incompetence is matched only by its obstinacy, wrong-headedness and misguided conceit.
Re-reading this, I acknowledge that uninformed outsiders might consider it exaggerated and overblown. I only wish that were so, but it’s not. It represents the insane truth about a nation once noted for its steadfastness, security, stability and restraint. I was born as the all-clear sirens were sounding over my Leicestershire home in wartime 1943. It was a time when fortunes were turning against the appalling Adolf Hitler and in favour of the Allies. As a result, I have aways seen myself as one of life’s fortunate people, living in a civilised society protected and preserved from tyranny by the truly great generation that preceded mine. Since then I’ve lived a truly blessed life, and experienced one of the greatest periods of peace in British history.
But now a shroud of despondency has settled over my green and pleasant land, and I genuinely fear for its future. Whatever happens next, I believe the true essence of Britain has been wrung out of it by politicians who either don’t know, or care, about the extent of the damage they are doing.
When Lynden Pindling tried, in 1969, to introduce anti-press laws to curb criticism of his corrupt regime, and proposed star chamber treatment for errant journalists in the House of Assembly, Sir Etienne Dupuch and his word warriors, including me, mounted a stern campaign against him. By enlisting the help of the international press, and defying the tinpot tyrant at every turn, we forced a humiliating climbdown. Hence, the acceptance of a free press, and the underscoring of free expression, became embedded in a society that continues to enjoy those rights today. Bill Cole of The Nassau Guardian and I were
interviewed by American TV stations, and I gave a speech to East Nassau Rotary Club in which I described the Bahamas as a “frightened society” that was in danger of falling victim to a totalitarian regime. I never thought I would ever see the day when Britain became a “frightened society” run by a tinpot, two-bit tyrant. But it is edging closer every day towards an Orwellian dystopia.
After Pindling’s humiliation, it wasn’t long before a cabal of PLP parliamentarians, led by Cecil Wallace-Whitfield, broke clear of Pindling’s grip and later formed what became the Free National Movement. Thus, the most intelligent segment of the PLP became the official opposition.
Cole and I were able to take so strong a stance against Pindling’s evil proposals because we felt emboldened by Britain’s moral certitude when it came to free speech. Unfortunately, we would not be able to feel that way today.
In 1940, Britain repelled a planned invasion by the most grotesque dictator in a thousand years. Today an invasion just as threatening in different ways is taking place daily, with young men from savage societies coming ashore in rubber boats as alleged asylum seekers. They drop their mobile phones and passports into the sea before stepping ashore, and percolate into a society already over-stretched to the limit.
Trapped in the web of wokery, hamstrung by a socialist government, and no longer sure of its cultural identity, Britain faces an uncertain future.
Multiculturalism and diversity, the twin shibboleths of the Left, have failed in Britain. Alien cultures are undermining everyday life, indigenous Brits no longer feel safe in their homes, and the spirit of Churchill has died on the vine. All the old certainties have gone. Common decency is fading fast. Uncontainable lawlessness is placing everyone in peril. For the first time in 81 years, I fear that Britain is being invaded by forces that will destroy its culture and change - for the worse - everything it has ever stood for.
JOHN MARQUIS was a journalist for 50 years. He was an award-winning investigative reporter, a Fleet Street sports editor, an international boxing writer, and editor of a West Country newspaper group before becoming The Tribune’s Managing Editor for the last decade of his career, 1999-2009.
JOHN MARQUIS
PRO Palestinian protestors in London hold up flags and placards on October 21, 2023.
Photo: David Cliff/AP
Is CARICOM failing its smaller countries?
RECENTLY, the smaller member states of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) have renewed complaints that the promised benefits and compensatory mechanisms that convinced them to join first CARIFTA in 1968, and later CARICOM in 1973, have not materialised.
While the larger economies - Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Barbadoshave leveraged CARICOM to gain preferential trade access to the smaller economies of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), reciprocal access has been denied through non-tariff barriers and other restrictive measures.
The implementation of the Common External Tariff (CET), designed to protect goods produced in larger CARICOM economies, has also led to higher consumer prices for smaller states, depriving them of the ability to source cheaper goods from extraregional markets.
This issue was extensively discussed in the West Indian Commission’s 1992 Report, “Time for Action,” which underscored the urgent need for a more equitable distribution of benefits in regional integration. The report highlighted how smaller economies were at a disadvantage in trade relations within CARICOM and recommended stronger mechanisms to ensure balanced participation. However, more than three decades later, many of these recommendations remain unimplemented.
From its inception, the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) was meant to foster balanced regional economic integration, ensuring that smaller economies were not left at a disadvantage. To that end, compensatory mechanisms such as the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) were introduced, but they have failed due to inconsistent and inadequate contributions from the larger member states. Without adequate funding, smaller economies have been unable to diversify, modernise their industries, or compete equitably within the regional market. The CDF was envisioned as a tool for redistributing the gains of integration, yet it remains severely underfunded, with only sporadic contributions from the beneficiary countries.
The free movement of labour, another cornerstone of CARICOM’s integration efforts, was also intended to
World View
By SIR RONALD SANDERS
compensate for the closure of small-scale manufacturing enterprises in the OECS that could not withstand competition from the larger states. However, even this mechanism, which would have allowed smaller economies to take advantage of employment opportunities in larger CARICOM states, has not benefited nationals of OECS countries. This issue was highlighted in the 2018 ILO Report on Caribbean Labor Mobility, which found that intra-regional migration patterns heavily favour larger states, limiting opportunities for smaller economies. Jamaica and Guyana were the main beneficiaries of movement by unskilled labour over the period 1975 to 2018. At a time of global economic uncertainty, shrinking access to affordable financing, the worsening effects of climate change, and a retreat from multilateralism, CARICOM should be a stronger, more unified bloc. Instead, the deepseated trade disadvantages affecting smaller states have been allowed to fester, undermining regional solidarity. It should be noted that while Belize, Guyana and Suriname also suffered, the members of the OECS
were most affected, Despite decades of effort to establish a genuine Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), this work remains largely incomplete. The necessary legal, structural, and compensatory mechanisms remain underdeveloped or unimplemented. However, even within the limited aspects of the CSME that have been established, Trinidad and Tobago has been the principal beneficiary, Blame for the failure to advance the CSME does not lie with the regional public servants who have worked tirelessly for years to advance regional integration. Instead, it falls squarely on political leaders who prioritise national sovereignty and economic self-interest over regional progress. The unwillingness of CARICOM
governments to enforce commitments made in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas has left the promise of CARICOM unfulfilled for the mass of its people. This failure extends beyond trade. CARICOM’s ability to coordinate foreign policy - once a source of strength in the 1970s - has also deteriorated. On crucial geopolitical matters, the member states have become vulnerable to external influence, easily divided by powerful nations seeking bilateral advantage. None of this is in CARICOM’s interest - especially now, when small states face existential threats that require a united regional front.
CARICOM’s founding visionaries, including Sir Shridath Ramphal and PJ Patterson, recognised that only through deeper economic cooperation, a common foreign policy, and collective bargaining could the region safeguard its sovereignty and ensure prosperity for all members. Their legacy should serve as a guidepost, reminding the region of what is at stake when unity is compromised.
Urgent reforms must be undertaken to render CARICOM more effective, particularly by making its trading system truly equitable. These could include: reinvigorating the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) by making contributions mandatory for larger states, ensuring sustained funding to support economic diversification in smaller economies; eliminating non-tariff barriers that restrict exports from smaller states, including bureaucratic delays and arbitrary licensing requirements that effectively block market access; creating enforceable rules for free movement of labour to ensure that OECS nationals have equal opportunities to migrate for work without unnecessary restrictions; and strengthening CARICOM’s foreign policy coordination by establishing a mechanism for collective decision-making that prevents external powers from exploiting divisions within the bloc.
One thing, however, must never be considered - the abandonment of the regional integration
movement. Despite its shortcomings, CARICOM remains a crucial bulwark against global marginalization. Without it, member states risk becoming mere geopolitical real estate, vulnerable to economic and political absorption by larger powers.
The only viable path forward is a reinvigorated CARICOM - one that eschews insularity and delivers on its foundational promises of fairness, equity, and shared prosperity for all members, large and small alike. As veteran advocate of Caribbean integration, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves aptly stated, “The quickening pace of the challenges of nature and the global economic challenges have made it imperative that we build a CARICOM that is better and stronger while recognising its inbuilt and operational limitations.”
The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS. The views expressed are entirely his own. Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com
PRIME Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves.
Ka’Lon Duncanson: A study in determination
KA’LON Duncanson knows the value of determination. This Lyford Cay Foundations scholar applied three times before being awarded the highly competitive Sir Godfrey Kenneth Kelly Graduate Scholarship, a scholarship which supports students who are both academically strong and civic-minded. Now as he pursues his dream to create a stronger Bahamas, he believes the wait was worth it.
Duncanson is pursuing his Master of Arts in economics/economic development at the University of Southern Mississippi. In this programme, Duncanson explores topics that include regrowing regional economies, fostering job creation, supporting entrepreneurial networks and growing infrastructures. He envisions himself returning to The Bahamas and applying the knowledge he’s gained to help create a stronger Bahamas.
But before Duncanson was a visionary graduate student, he was a young man from Grand Bahama searching for more.
“Growing up in my community there weren’t many role models who were pursuing education,” said Duncanson. “It’s hard to get out when you are in an environment where everyone is doing the same thing.”
Unlike many, Duncanson did have a loving mentor who encouraged him to strive for higher education. “I spent a lot of time with my grandfather. He was a small business owner and a reverend in Freeport. He didn’t have
GAIN AN EDGE
the opportunity to go off to school, but he always wanted his grandchildren to get an education,” shared Duncanson. “I’m the first one to actually go off to college.”
Duncanson’s path to graduate school was non-traditional. After attending St George’s High School, he applied to Lyford Cay Foundations for a technical scholarship to study underwater welding in Canada. He was excited to receive the scholarship but was unable to enrol due to a myriad of circumstances.
Disappointed but undaunted, Duncanson enrolled in classes at University of The Bahamas-North. Then with a clearer vision of his goals, he applied to University of Southern Mississippi to pursue his bachelor’s degree in business administration. He once again applied for a Lyford Cay Foundations scholarship but was unsuccessful.
Although he didn’t obtain the scholarship, Duncanson excelled in his undergraduate programme. He demonstrated
his leadership skills in several university organisations including as the founder of the Fins and Flippers aquatics club, a member of the Student Advisory Council and president of the Student Government Association – all while being a student employee with the Office of Student Affairs. His involvement inspired him to take the next step.
“In undergrad I worked hard to establish a strong foundation and community at my university. I had a great relationship with my professors and after learning about the graduate programme in economic development, I thought ‘I’m passionate about this subject and want to do this.’”
Now with his goals closely aligned with the Foundations’ efforts to help fill gaps in the country through education, Duncanson was awarded a scholarship in 2024.
“My advice to students who are considering applying for a Lyford Cay Foundations scholarship is to just apply! Don’t count yourself out,” said
Duncanson. “If you don’t receive a scholarship on the first try apply again later. You must have the motivation to continue to move forward.”
Duncanson is one of 32 determined and visionary Bahamians who were awarded a Lyford Cay Foundations scholarship last year and a total of 75 Scholars supported by the Foundations in 2024. In total, the Foundation’s
Scholarships programme awarded nearly $1m to new and returning scholars last year.
Lyford Cay Foundations’ Scholarship portal will open for 2025 applications on Friday, February 14th. Applications will be accepted for graduate, undergraduate and technical awards in fields that will directly impact The Bahamas.
Those interested are
encouraged to visit www. lyfordcayfoundations.org to learn more and apply.
Water and Sewerage GM: Progress being made on Eleuthera’s water supply
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
WATER and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) general manager Robert Deal yesterday pledged to Eleuthera residents that the corporation is making progress on longoverdue upgrades to the island’s water supply.
Mr Deal provided an update on the longstanding issue at a press briefing at the O ffice of the Prime Minister on Friday.
“The corporation is, along with the government of The Bahamas, in very high-level dialogue with the desalination company who runs essentially those four plants in Eleuthera, and hopefully in short order, the government will make a further announcement as to what exactly the next steps are with respect to that,” he said.
Eleuthera’s water supply has been plagued by interruptions, particularly in Harbour Island and Spanish Wells, where tourism growth has increased demand for piped water. Residents have frequently faced disruptions linked to infrastructural limitations, power supply issues, and aging desalination plants.
Mr Deal pointed to the
progress made in improving storage facilities and production capacity, particularly at key sites across Eleuthera.
“In Harbour Island, we would have, you know, a
year or two ago, we had a leaky tank in Harbour Island. That was a real challenge. The corporation has issued a contract for two new tanks for storage tanks for Harbour Island. The first one has been completed, and that’s now in operation,” he said. The 200,000-gallon leaky tank that previously caused water losses has been demolished, Mr Deal said. The second tank, once completed, will bring total storage capacity on the island to approximately 500,000 gallons. Mr Deal also confirmed
similar upgrades for The Bogue, another critical water facility in N orth Eleuthera.
“We had only a limited 250000-gallon tank there. We put in a new 1 million-gallon tank, and also a 500000-gallon bladder tank. The 500000-gallon bladder tank is in service, and the 1 million-gallon tank is completed, but we just now completing the pipe work for that.”
In Central Eleuthera, where residents have also experienced water shortages, WSC has been working with the private desalination company to expand
production capacity. Deal said efforts to improve the robustness of the water network are well underway, particularly at the N aval Base site.
“Earlier, mid to late last year, they brought in another desalination train at the N aval Base,” he said, adding that there has been a noticeable improvement in the reliability of supply. Beyond production capacity, Mr Deal pointed to a critical issue affecting the effectiveness of Eleuthera’s water system: power supply reliability.
WSC relies on
desalination plants that require a stable power source, but frequent power outages in Eleuthera have led to disruptions.
“We’ve had some power supply challenges, so we heavily depend on diesel generators as backup and in many cases, providing power on a regular basis,” he said.
He credited recent cooperation with Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) for making some improvements in addressing power reliability issues. He said:
“We’ve had some very productive dialogue and assistance from—and we want to say thank you to—our sister utility BPL. They have done a lot. We’ve had a lot of improvements at both The Bogue site and at the N aval Base over the last several weeks, and so we are seeing an improvement in the reliability of those systems.”
However, Mr Deal admitted there is still “much work to be done” on Eleuthera’s water system, and WSC is working to secure government approval for a new pumping station at the N aval Base to further improve efficiency.
Plans are also underway to expand the water distribution system to more communities as part of the government’s broader effort to provide universal piped water access.
“The ongoing road paving project will also expand pipe network to those communities. So wherever Bahamians are, the goal is to ensure that they have piped water supply,” he said.
KA’Lon Duncanson.
WATER AND SEWERAGE CORPORATION GENERAL MANAGER ROBERT DEAL
PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICE
MINISTRY OF WORKS & FAMILY ISLAND AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL PLANNING
MINISTRY OF WORKS & FAMILY ISLAND AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL PLANNING
MINISTRY OF WORKS & FAMILY ISLAND AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL PLANNING
The public is hereby notified that an application for Preliminary Support of Approval (PSA/2/2025) is being reviewed by the Department of Physical Planning for presentation to the Town Planning Committee.
The public is hereby notified that an application for Preliminary Support of Approval (PSA/2/2025) is being reviewed by the Department of Physical Planning for presentation to the Town Planning Committee.
The public is hereby notified that an application for Preliminary Support of Approval (PSA/2/2025) is being reviewed by the Department of Physical Planning for presentation to the Town Planning Committee.
The applicant is seeking to construct a Funeral Home and Crematorium on a vacant property situated north of Adelaide Road and west of th e Coral Harbour Roundabout The proposed development will also include Parking, Staff Quarters and a Chapel
The applicant is seeking to construct a Funeral Home and Crematorium on a vacant property situated north of Adelaide Road and west of th e Coral Harbour Roundabout The proposed development will also include Parking, Staff Quarters and a Chapel
A public hearing will be held on Thursday, 27th February, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the Public Hearing Room of the Department of Physical Planning for all interested parties to discuss and address planning issues related to the proposed development
The applicant is seeking to construct a Funeral Home and Crematorium on a vacant property situated north of Adelaide Road and west of th e Coral Harbour Roundabout. The proposed development will also include Parking, Staff Quarters and a Chapel
A public hearing will be held on Thursday, 27th February, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the Public Hearing Room of the Department of Physical Planning for all interested parties to discuss and address planning issues related to the proposed development
Interested persons and organizations are invited to review the information on file at the Department of Physical Planning ’s office located on John F Kennedy Drive, in Aventura Plaza, and provide written comments or questions prior to the hearing Comments should be directed to the Director of Physical Planning. Submissions can be made via P.O Box N-1611, Nassau Bahamas, or email the Department of Physical Planning at DEPTPHYSICALPLANNING@BAHAMAS.GOV.BS.
A public hearing will be held on Thursday, 27th February, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the Public Hearing Room of the Department of Physical Planning for all interested parties to discuss and address planning issues related to the proposed development
Interested persons and organizations are invited to review the information on file at the Department of Physical Planning ’s office located on John F Kennedy Drive, in Aventura Plaza, and provide written comments or questions prior to the hearing Comments should be directed to the Director of Physical Planning. Submissions can be made via P.O Box N-1611, Nassau Bahamas, or email the Department of Physical Planning at DEPTPHYSICALPLANNING@BAHAMAS.GOV.BS.
Signed Charles B. Zonicle, Director Department of Physical Planning
Signed Charles B. Zonicle, Director Department of Physical Planning
Interested persons and organizations are invited to review the information on file at the Department of Physical Planning ’s office located on John F Kennedy Drive, in Aventura Plaza, and provide written comments or questions prior to the hearing Comments should be directed to the Director of Physical Planning. Submissions can be made via P.O Box N-1611, Nassau Bahamas, or email the Department of Physical Planning at DEPTPHYSICALPLANNING@BAHAMAS.GOV.BS.
@departmentofphysicalplanning
@departmentofphysicalplanning
Physical Planning Bahamas
Physical Planning Bahamas
@deptphysicalplanningbahamas
@deptphysicalplanningbahamas
Signed Charles B. Zonicle, Director Department of Physical Planning
Mom says son was ‘humiliated and in pain’ after officer’s alleged assault
in front of the entire classroom. He couldn’t wait to come home that day, and he was crying,” she said.
“For three days, he had to sleep on his stomach because of the pain. He couldn’t sit down unless he was on Tylenol, and even then, the pain would return when it wore off.”
Ms Louisius said the beating happened after her son’s former teacher singled him out along with another student.
She claimed the officer first questioned the other boy about his GPA. Upon hearing it was 1.55, he allegedly struck him eight times. He then accused her son of being rude. When the child said he didn’t know why, the officer allegedly hit him ten times with a black police cane.
Photos of the boy’s injuries show extensive bruising. Ms Louisius said doctors at Princess Margaret Hospital confirmed tissue damage. Her son remained in severe pain for
days.
Police confirmed last week that the matter is under investigation, with the incident reigniting public outrage and debate over corporal punishment in schools.
However, Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) president Belinda Wilson downplayed the matter, suggesting it had been exaggerated.
She also urged parents to distinguish between discipline and assault before making serious allegations.
“I think that matter was really blown out of proportion,” Mrs Wilson told reporters on the sidelines of an event Friday. “From what I heard, it was a little spanking...so I don’t know any degree of assault there.”
Her comments drew sharp criticism from Ms Louisius yesterday, who questioned how a “little spanking” could leave her son in such agony.
“Would a ‘little spanking’ require my son to sleep on his stomach to avoid further
pain? But then again in all honesty why would you care? That isn’t discipline, that’s abuse that officer abused his power against a child. He made my son suffer and at what cost?
Because he’s an officer? There’s absolutely nothing that can excuse this!”
The officer involved—a reserve officer assigned to the Urban Renewal Division—was reportedly not employed by the school and was on campus for unrelated business when the incident occurred.
Since filing a complaint last month, Ms Louisius said she has received few answers and described the investigation as frustrating and riddled with delays.
“The inspector who took our statement was shocked when he saw the pictures. The report was transferred between divisions—from corruption to schooling, then back to corruption.”
On Friday, she met with police officials, who assured her they would follow up in a “couple of days.” However, she remains skeptical.
Two american women bitten by shark in Bimini Bay
In other news, police in Andros are investigating a boating accident near a naval base on Friday afternoon. Reports indicate that
a white open-hull boat with two 150HP outboard engines, carrying six men, was travelling northbound when it struck a US marine who was free diving.
The boat failed to stop and continued on its
When asked if she felt any relief after the meeting, she said no and believes the only reason police took it seriously was because of the news publicity.
The angered mother accused the police of protecting the officer, noting that they refused to disclose
course. The diver sustained serious injuries, was assisted ashore, and later airlifted to the US for further medical attention. Police said investigations are continuing.
his name.
She said her son was moved to another class after returning to school last week and is now in better spirits.
“He said he likes the new class,” she said yesterday.
“The students aren’t bullying him because when he returned to school on Monday we told the principal that we would like it if she had a meeting with all the kids that were present to let them know that it’s not okay and that should not happen and don’t bully him so that made the process easier for him.”
FINED FOR NOT PAYING GUN LICENCE FEE SINCE 2013
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was fined in court on Friday after he admitted to not paying his license fee on his shotgun since 2013. Magistrate Lennox Coleby arraigned Jacques Absolu, 40, on possession of an unlicenced shotgun and possession of ammunition.
Police reportedly found a black Maverick 12 gauge shotgun and six shotgun shells in his residence in the Fox Hill area on February 6.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted to not paying the licence for his weapon in years. He expressed contrition for his lapsed payments.
Magistrate Coleby
ordered that the defendant pay his outstanding $1,800 fee or risk a 12-month prison term.
Absolu was further ordered to make a donation of $1,000 to the police welfare fund or risk a similar 12-month prison term. Alphonso Lewis represented the accused.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Lincoln McKenzie served as the prosecutor.
BUT PRESIDENT BELINDA WILSON
GOVERNOR General Dame Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt, currently on an official visit to the southern islands, planted a lignum vitae tree, following a special assembly, at Admiral Ferguson High School on Crooked Island on Thursday. On the same day, she planted a yellow elder on a public park in Crooked Island.
Photos: Letisha Henderson/BIS
Psychologist links excessive social media use to rise in suicide attempts
BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
DR Lakiska RussellJohnson, a psychologist at the Ministry of Education, warns that suicides among young people are increasing, with excessive social media use strongly linked to the trend.
Speaking at Girl Con 2025 on the impact of social media on mental health, Dr Johnson told The Tribune Friday that suicides are most common among older teens, starting at age 15.
“It is definitely on the rise. It still remains mostly common in the adolescent population with students 15 to 19 years,” she said. Her comments followed another reported suicide attempt on Thursday involving a juvenile female who allegedly tried to harm herself with a knife at a home on Hunts Close.
Police recently reported that while attempted suicides decreased by 38 percent last year, suicides rose by 33 percent in 2024. According to statistics released by police, there were eight suicides in 2024, up from six in 2023.
“We know from the limited research we have in recent years that excessive social media use has a strong link to suicidality, as well as loneliness and self-harm behaviours,” Dr Johnson said. “We are seeing more children suffering from depression and anxiety.”
Dr Johnson stressed the importance of balancing social media use and highlighted cyberbullying as a growing issue, noting that many victims suffer in silence.
“They are just dealing with it and not really having a conversation about it. When they are experiencing that, we want young people to speak with someone—a school counsellor, parents, or any trusted adult—about what’s going on and how they are feeling so they don’t have to suffer in silence,” she added.
Reflecting on her own upbringing, Dr Johnson noted that young people today interact differently. She said that in the past, they had more face-to-face interactions, but today, much of young people’s communication happens online, causing them to miss out on real human
connection.
She urged parents to monitor their children’s social media activity.
“We have to have our eyes open and be very aware and cognizant of what our children are watching, who their friends are, and how much time they are spending on social media,” she said.
Held under the theme Social Media – Striking a Balance, Girl Con 2025 brought together 250 girls from 11 schools aboard Margaritaville for its annual empowerment conference.
Speakers included Girl Con founder Katherine Forbes-Smith, Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey, Assistant Commissioner of Police Janet McKenzie, talk show host Shenique Miller, and Dr Johnson.
Mrs Forbes-Smith said the organisation, established eight years ago, aims to create impactful programmes for women and girls. Its mission is to inspire, mentor, and advocate for girls’ rights in education, health, wellness, and leadership development.
The organisation plans to travel to the United Nations in New York in March 2026.
