Fifty-four people reported missing since January, eight remain missing
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The majority of people who went missing for the first half of the year were “adolescent females engaging in sexual intercourse”, according to Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle.
Rolle made the statement at a press conference to release crime statistics.
A total of 54 people were reported missing, he said.
Of that figure, 40 people were found safe.
Six missing person reports were closed as a result of “death, the commission of a crime or some other nefarious circumstances”.
While details were not provided on these incidents, the age for sexual consent — when a person can legally consent to have sex — is 16 years old.
Individuals aged 15 or younger cannot legally give consent to sexual activity, and it is a violation of statutory rape laws to engage in sex with a person of or above 14 and under 16, whether with consent or without.
Authorities continue to search for eight people.
The identification of the remaining missing people was not provided.
Under the ‘Missing Persons’ section of the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s website, bulletins for two people have been posted.
This includes 17-year-old Troyann Saunders, and 62-year-old Ismael Clarke, of Sea Breeze.
Saunders was last seen on June 9 minutes before 10pm at her Hibiscus Way, Garden Hills residence.
She is described as slim, of light brown complexion and five feet, eleven inches in height.
Meanwhile, Clarke was last seen on June 15 at 5pm at his residence on Seabreeze Lane.
He is described as dark brown, between five foot, eight inches and five foot, nine inches in height, and of slim build.
A closer look at the statistics showed 12 people were reported in January, nine in February, nine in March, five in April, 10 in May, and nine in June.
A further breakdown showed the majority of people were reported missing in New Providence, followed by the Family Islands.
Thirty-nine people were reported missing in New Providence, four on Grand Bahama, and 11 throughout the Family Islands, according to the data.
Rolle said the missing and exploited investigations team of the Criminal Investigation Department continues to work with the National Trafficking in Persons Task Force.
He said the combined effort of these teams resulted in The Bahamas maintaining its ‘Tier 1’ ranking in the US Department of State’s 2020 Trafficking in Persons report for the sixth consecutive year.
Loading ...
