Human rights group condemns recent surge in homicides

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Human Rights Association (SVGHRA) has condemned the recent surge in homicides in the country.

A release from the organization said it wished to go on record “in condemning the current trend of brutal killings in St Vincent and the Grenadines.{{more}}

“Over the past weeks there have been the callous slaying of a number of Vincentians. It is to us an indication that we have become or are becoming increasingly less respectful of the sanctity of life. We have become too willing to shoot down each other without stopping to think that human life is so precious that it should not be snuffed out purely on the basis of hatred, paid crime, drugs and lacking of self-control,” the release, sent by president of the SVGHRA Samantha Robertson, said.

The release referred to the Constitution of SVG, which says that life is sacred and that it should be protected.

Chapter I subsection (2) of our Constitution states that “No person shall be deprived of his life intentionally save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence under any law of which he has been conducted.”

The SVGHRA said too many persons are being deprived of their lives in our country intentionally, in violation of constitutional provisions.

“The time has come for the authorities in our country to take requisite measures to ensure the abating of this rather ugly growing trend. None of us can be comfortable with the extent of killings in our country. We call on the Police authority, the Ministry of National Security and other relevant stakeholders to come to the round table and come up with creating ways in reducing the current spate of homicides in this country. The impact that this can have on our country must be of every concern to all. We are loosing too many of our young people to violent crimes.

“Our crime fighting techniques remains questionable and as such it sends a wrong message to the prospective killers. Our conflict resolution abilities are seemingly at their lowest and as such the time has come for us to start through our Ministry of Education.

“One life lost to crime is too many,” the release concluded.