The United Workers Party (UWP) has intensified its criticism of the government’s crime-fighting strategy amid a surge in violence that claimed 10 lives, including an unborn child, in just nine days.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Castries Central candidate Rosh Clarke revealed his personal stake in the crisis: his 32-year-old cousin, Troya St Martin, seven months pregnant, was among those fatally shot in Wilton’s Yard on July 3.
“We are miscarrying our future, burying sons before they become men, and worst of all, we are starting to normalise it,” Clarke said, condemning the spate of killings.
He recounted the harrowing moment he learned of his cousin’s death: “Imagine getting a call at 9:30 p.m. about another shooting, but this time, it’s your family. You rush to the hospital and see doctors scrambling, with the bare minimum resources, fighting to save two lives – a mother and her unborn child. She had no bullet exit wounds, but her life was critically slipping away. They opened her up, trying to save the baby. But my cousin died on that operating table, and so did her baby.”
Clarke also blamed neglect in inner-city communities like Wilton’s Yard, where flimsy wooden homes offer no protection from gunfire. He called on citizens to speak out against crime and demanded greater transparency from the government on its crime-fighting strategy.
UWP Castries Southeast candidate Guy Joseph joined the attack, contrasting past UWP policies with the current administration’s record. He listed prior achievements, including $400 000 insurance coverage for police officers, CCTV networks from Castries to Gros Islet, new law enforcement equipment and strengthened border controls, including a K-9 unit.
Joseph singled out the 2022 disbanding of the K-9 unit, reportedly due to budget cuts, as a misstep, noting its reinstatement last year. He also cited suspicions around the recent death of K-9 officer Tyson, which police credit with aiding in the seizure of over 4 000 rounds of ammunition this year.
