Residents still enraged over police silence of sexual assaults

Residents still enraged over police silence of sexual assaults

Over-the-Hill residents are outraged that the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) remained tight lipped on the assaults on two minor females, just feet away from the Stephen Dillet Primary School a few weeks ago.

In an interview with Eyewitness News Friday, residents shared their concerns about police silence.

Michael Davis, a father of five girls, indicated that he wishes law enforcement would “enforce the law” more by being visible in the community.

“By coming out of their vehicles and walking through the neighborhood, is how we would know that there’s something going on,” Davis said.

“If they come and knock on our doors and inform us of what is going on, we can help in many different ways.

“I am one of those persons who is always looking for an opportunity to better our community. There are persons like me all over the place, who are looking to better our communities; we just want to know.”

Nikiel Davis, a woman who hosts a girl’s youth group in her at home salon, told Eyewitness News that it saddens her that the public wasn’t informed about the whole thing.

“I mean I spoke to a police officer before some years ago and he said if we knew what was really going on in The Bahamas, a lot of people wouldn’t come outside,” she said.

“[But] people are going to have to still function and live but, we need to know so that we can better prepare ourself and be aware as to what’s going on, and how to carry yourself, and all the rest of it. To cover it up, is never good because you will not be aware of what’s going.”

Another concerned resident in the Over-the-Hill community, also cried out that a primary school is nearby and the fact that children surround the neighborhood means, that law enforcement fell down terribly in informing the community.

“The situation about the little girl is very poor because this neighborhood is filled with children … If you notice, Stephen Dillet Primary School is right here on our right … my niece goes to that school … I’ll leave my job to get my children,” Sherell Green stressed.

“Right now, with these molesters going around the place, we need to protect our children.”

She also voiced her concern as to why Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd, “hasn’t said anything about it yet” and further questioned, “why the police covered up the six-year-old but now, are exposing the nine-year-old?”

Shantel Thurston expressed her horror of the close proximity of the abandoned building, where the assaults took place, to the rest of the neighbourhood.

“A lot of the children walk through (the bush) everyday … The house right there behind the bush on our right hand side, is where the children walk pass every day,” Thurston confirmed.

“I came outside to drop my granddaughter home and all I see are all these police cars and people … So, I decided to hop the wall and ask what’s going on…

“I saw another guy who lived here and he said, ‘a child just got raped’.”

She said the man then confirmed the location where the assault was ‘allegedly committed.

“I think that’s very sick what happened here and I don’t like how the police deal with it. They didn’t deal with it well at all. Over here on Windsor Lane, all we have is single mothers with a lot of children, and we have to feel safe and protected.”