Charles Sinn (inset) was airlifted to the US for medical attention following an attack that nearly severed his foot at an Atlantis nightclub two years ago.
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
TWO years after suffering a brain injury and foot damage so severe that bones protruded from the flesh, Charles Sinn is still shocked by the lack of justice, especially given how publicly it all unfolded.
The 37-year-old American says his life was destroyed by a violent attack inside Atlantis’ Aura nightclub — a crowded venue full of witnesses — and by the silence that followed.
He now runs a blog, justiceforcharles.com, sharing video footage, documents, and graphic photos of his injuries. He believes it’s his only path to justice.
“I was almost murdered by an entire family on the middle of a nightclub, and The Bahamas police just let them go,” he said in an emotional interview with The Tribune this week.
He describes a night of horror: a celebratory trip to The Bahamas in May 2023, where he planned to propose to his girlfriend, turned into a scene of chaos and brutality. After intervening in a scuffle that had left his partner on the floor, Mr Sinn was allegedly taken down by a group of men. Two of them, he claims, held his leg in place and began sawing at his ankle with a knife.
“They watched me suffer a pain that I never knew existed,” he said.
Bahamian doctors reportedly told him there was nothing they could do. He said he had to arrange to be airlifted to the US, where he underwent multiple surgeries, including a major foot reconstruction.
At the time of the attack, The Tribune attempted to follow up on the case but received limited information from police, and Atlantis officials declined to provide details. When contacted again this week, Commissioner Shanta Knowles told The Tribune she would look into the matter, while representatives from Atlantis again offered no comment.
Meanwhile, the damage to Mr Sinn’s foot was catastrophic. Photos and medical records he shared with The Tribune show an ankle that appears butchered –– bones exposed, skin shredded. He says the pain has never gone away.
A witness who spoke to The Tribune shortly after the attack in 2023 recalled gagging at the sight of blood pouring from his ankle, though they were unable to say what had sparked the violence.
Despite the graphic nature of the incident, the number of eyewitnesses, and the alleged presence of video footage, Mr Sinn says no meaningful action was ever taken. He claims police arrested the assailants initially but released them shortly after. He said he identified them twice in separate sets of mugshots, but no charges were laid.
“I don’t know if it was just negligence or corruption or what,” he said. “But it’s a shocking travesty of justice.”
At the time of the incident, video footage of the attack was shared with The Tribune, and the alleged attackers were identified to The Tribune. The Tribune asked the police at the time for updates and were told the investigation was continuing.
Yesterday, the US Embassy said it takes such allegations seriously and raises credible reports of abuse directly with the Bahamian government.
But Mr Sinn, a former geophysicist, said none of that has helped. He claims Atlantis was entirely uncooperative and would not release video evidence without a lawsuit.
His civil suit against the alleged attackers in Florida was dismissed on jurisdictional grounds, with the judge saying it should be filed in The Bahamas.
Now disabled and living with daily pain, Mr Sinn has lost more than just his health.
“I lost my job. I lost my girlfriend. I have severe headaches every night, vision floaters, memory loss,” he said.
He said he can no longer remain quiet out of fear of retaliation.
“The worst thing about it is that, if I was someone important or someone actually covered this story, I don’t think they would have gotten away with it,” he said.
Comments
Dawes 1 week, 2 days ago
Welcome to The Bahamas where unfortunately making sure there are no bad stories about tourists is more important then justice. This man will join a long line of those aggrieved at our justice system. As a note there are two sides to every story so he may not be as innocent as this article portrays, but there should at least have been a case where all the details came out and a judge makes a decision. I remember that video and his foot was only barely hanging on.
yari 1 week, 2 days ago
Absolutely nothing surprises me anymore. The RBPF is compromised, we know that from the indictments of senior members, the young man is lucky to be alive and even if he doesn't realize it yet even luckier not to be married to his former girlfriend.
rodentos 1 week, 2 days ago
They detained me without grounds, I was jailed without a running camera, I got an infection they did not want to drive me to the hospital and one officer was continuously threatening me to shoot me into my head.... thats RBPF
TalRussell 1 week, 2 days ago
Not believing for a moment that the Tribune doesn't know 'their recounting' of this story is dangerously lackin' in "known peoples names missing, misinformation gaps" the size of potholes. -- Yes?
ExposedU2C 1 week, 2 days ago
Yup, you can just feel the noose being tightened by the U.S. government around the necks of all Bahamians because of our corrupt law enforcement system and equally corrupt legal system. It is going to get increasingly difficult for Bahamians to obtain any type of visa to gain entry into the U.S.
rodentos 5 days, 11 hours ago
then get YOUR country in order, nobody else will do it for you
truetruebahamian 1 week, 2 days ago
I hope that justice finally prevails and his attackers have their feet removed in retribution. Those guys were probably trying to make a play his fiancée and he was only defending her. This happens here.
TalRussell 1 week, 2 days ago
Comrades, the most impactful thing that should've immediately caught the viewers eyes, upon viewing this video, could've been to had given a compelling look-over at 'the makeup' of the dance goers' themselves in attendance at the Hog Island event back in 2023. -- Precisely, on that night, 'twas few motor cars, carrying local popoulaces' -- were spotted crossing over the Hog Island Bridge -- Yes?
ThisIsOurs 1 week, 2 days ago
WTF??? was this story ever reported anywhere? I can't recall coming across it.
"Atlantis was entirely uncooperative and would not release video evidence without a lawsuit."
WTF is going on in this country. You have video footage of man getting his foot sawed off and nothing comes of it?
And the Commissioner has to go check see if she finds something???
TalRussell 1 week, 2 days ago
IT'S BEEN ASKED: "HAS this story ever been reported anywhere?" --- ANSWERED: "The media houses people know 'to put on a rosary' (say final prayer) before taking pen to be writin' things about some (as in connected) amongst Hog Island's nightclub dance goers' of 2023." -- Enough said. --- Yes?
ThisIsOurs 1 week, 1 day ago
I cant believe it. I can not believe that there was video evidence that this gruesome thing happened and not one person anywhere reported it and the police did not demand the video. This guy could be the worst person in the world, it wouldnt matter. Nobody should be raising a question about FOIA after this.
TalRussell 1 week, 1 day ago
I think there's acknowledgement of this crime being the most gruesome thing that has happened to an 'American citizen visitor victim' that lived to talk about it and not a word uttered about it, 'on nor after 2003,' by the US Embassy, tourism officials or anyone or anything connected or associated with Hog Island. -- Compare this Hog Island's gruesomeness to the media coverage after another Hog Island visitor's no known crime of a visitor who may have,-- 'simply wanted to self disappear.' -- Yes?
Twocent 1 week, 2 days ago
“Very bad people, very bad gang members, and very bad drug dealers. Like him or not, Trump called it, as it clearly is!
Porcupine 1 week, 1 day ago
No surprises. All falls into place. A very large group of criminals runs this country and threatens anyone who wants justice. The media is dead. The editors are well known and family to many. Think they'll take any risks to expose the truth? They won't open their mouths. That things have gotten this bad is no surprise. This fish rots from the head down. After 50+ years, does anyone think much is left of the fish? This society is finished. We are eating ourselves alive. And most Bahamians are wholly ignorant about what is going on. Worse, the majority of our people couldn't give a shit. We just don't care.
bogart 1 week, 1 day ago
Atrocious !!!
This string of continuous unresolved crimes committed against out US guests visiting our beloved Bahamaland and remaining unresolved can be quite common sense traced to the persons involved ----- including the numbers of countable state employed officials and bewildering that for years that these crimes are stilll opened.
Our Commonwealth of the Bahamas should NOT continue to be shame faced on these continuous crimes involving our US guests going back years and unbelievably remain unresolved for years and with traceble known countable persons on the cases.
Full account need to be updated on the ----- 1- rapes in the Grand Bahama on US females ----- 2- rapes on US females in Nassau beaches involving jet ski operators ----- 3- the missing US guest on the PI beach with the phone in the water ----- 4- the US young man who was drowned on PI beach waters and body founnd up on beach sand with alleged bruises on face ----- 5- this above story US guest who people tried to cut off his foot. ----- how many more? -----how many more? how many more?
The Bahamian Law enforcement forces IS QUITE CAPABLE and have the EXCELLENT ability of officers to investigate and recover illegal guns off the streets, does have the ability to apprehend accused Bahamian murderers within hours, does have the ability to be solve a lot of crimes of Bahamians against Bahamians.
CaptainCoon 2 days, 18 hours ago
He will never achieve justice with Woke DEI leadership in place in this country.
Sign in to comment
OpenID