By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
TOURISM Minister Obie Wilchcombe said yesterday he is “very concerned” about the sexual assault of a 17-year-old American girl who was strangled to near unconsciousness and forced to perform a sexual act on a middle-aged man on San Salvador.
His statements come as authorities, according to Police Superintendent Paul Rolle, continue to investigate the incident and are expected to determine what course of action to take with the accused 41-year-old man today.
While noting that the incident is unlikely to damage San Salvador’s tourism industry, Mr Wilchcombe said: “This does not make the Bahamas look good. The global community is faced with crime, but for a country that promotes hospitality we are especially mandated to ensure we provide safety to all Bahamians and tourists. The fear of crime has a great impact on the decision people make to come to our country. I’m very concerned about the incident because several incidents relating to tourists have happened in the past several weeks.”
Police sources confirmed to The Tribune on Tuesday that an American girl was riding her bicycle in the Cockburn Town dock area around 10am when a man emerged from the bushes, forcing her to perform oral sex on him as she pleaded that he not rape her.
This incident comes several weeks after another tourist related incident attracted international attention – 56-year-old Edgar Dart, who was murdered in his mother’s home in Grand Bahama. He died as his 13-year-old son, who with other members of the family had been tied up, watched in horror. Three men have since been questioned by police in connection with the murder.
Comments
hurricane 10 years, 1 month ago
Yeah, the rest of you ninjas can keep killing yourselves on a daily basis...gotta express concern here to protect the golden egg though.
Brenard 10 years, 1 month ago
See, this is the problem, confused priorities and image. The issue is tragic, however the police force can handle it with due care and capability while their "INVESTIGATIONS ARE ONGOING". Now by saying that, Mr. Wilchcombe should redirect his attention on how to more help me (the young jobless bahamians) instead of doing the police press releas by commenting on this matter. If a bahamian gets raped in Florida, does Florida's governor or mayor stop their main priority to highlight the issue and make press releases their police department suppose to make? Talk about creating 200 jobs next week, or steps to make something happen. I mean, GET REAL. We dieing out here.
greenflag 10 years, 1 month ago
Lets not forget the American girl that was raped and murdered over by Cabbage Beach back in 1997. And the British girl that was also raped and murdered, at the same time by the same person.. They convicted the boy of the British girl, but somehow was not convicted for the American murder. I guess his butt is still rotting in Fox Hill prison. I have personally seen a bag dropped from a Cruise ship into a "Go Fast Boat" driven by thugs. And they wonder how all these guns, ammo, & drugs enters Nassau.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 1 month ago
Tourism will continue to be a millstone around our necks............. its called dependency.
Until we get our lazy backsides up and wean ourselves of this modern day slavery........ we will continue to be the slop buckets for the neo-colonial masters........ INVESTORS
Personally, I feel for the young girl and her family........ but thats just goes to prove how enemic our justice system is . Many Bahamian families are in the same predicament
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