High-school student gang-raped in Antigua
Police doing nothing says POWA
by Sarrah Hadeed
Caribbean Net News Antigua-Barbuda Correspondent.
E-mail: sarrahhadeed@yahoo.com
Monday, May 16, 2005
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: The reported
"gang-rape" of a female high school student last week, has angered the
Professional Organization of Women in Antigua (POWA). A
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) spokesman also confirmed to
Caribbean Net News that a "dragnet" of sorts has been set as officers are
on the lookout for the male trio who reportedly took turns at raping the
14-year-old student.
"… there are adult males in society who prey
on children. Pedophilia does exist in Antigua and to a large degree, to a
large degree," stressed POWA's Vice President Cathy-Anne Benjamin who added
that, "Antigua to me is almost at the position where we should have our girls
under lock and key". News of the rape has
rekindled memories of the vexing case in which several prominent local
businessmen were held and questioned by the police for being allegedly
involved in an "escort service" involving teenage girls.
City police told Caribbean Net News that the matter was brought to
light when one young woman's anatomy was badly damaged and "her mother became
irate and called the cops". One upset POWA
member told Caribbean Net News that that case "vanished into thin air
and some of the teenagers involved were "shipped" out of the country."
POWA has accused law enforcement officials of doing nothing.
"I find our girl children are forever under attack and the law does nothing…
we are very much concerned that we are not serious in Antigua about taking
care of our children especially our girl children," Benjamin said while
speaking on the radio Friday.
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