The remark, “crime is now normal in St Lucia”, uttered by a Vieux Fort resident, has struck fear in the heart of former Gros islet MP, Leonard “spider” Montoute. Montoute has long cautioned citizens, to not allow themselves to become hardened against the horror of violent crime. Yet it seems that his words have fallen on deaf ears.
For the past couple of years the island has been battered by a tsunami of violent crime, with murder rates hitting the 70’s in successive years. To date, the country has recorded 31 homicides in the first four months of 2024.
Following the latest homicide, Montoute describes his shock at hearing the man’s remarks, but states that he was equally affected by the dispassionate looks on the faces of passersby. Even the children he notes, were unaffected by the sight of a dead body in their community.
Montoute believes that this is a sign of more serious problems to come and has issued a plea to the government and law enforcement, to take decisive action to get a handle on the crime situation before all is lost.
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