#TurksandCaicos, November 2, 2022 – Good evening Turks and Caicos, its Wednesday 2^nd November 2022.

The murder of three people, two adults and a child in Dock Yard yesterday was a horrendous act of violence that shocked the TCI and the region of Caribbean countries. This incident also left a seven-year-old girl seriously injured and traumatized.

It’s hard to comprehend the depravity and callousness of the individuals who carried out this attack. No matter the motivation or target behind these murders, innocent lives were ruthlessly taken.

Investigators have an open mind as to why these people were targeted; it may be that this attack is not linked to the gang related violence which the Force is currently fighting against, but was driven by other motivation. Whilst I know how challenging it is to provide information in a small community where there is genuine fear, I am again asking you to help where you can; if you know anything about this incident, an incident that led to the death of an innocent child , I implore you to tell us what you know, either directly, anonymously or through crime stoppers.

It is widely reported that a number of calls were made to the Force Control Room during the evening of Monday 31^st October, reporting the sound of gunshots in the Timber Crest area of Kew Town. There is a strong possibility that these gunshots were related to the attack that led to the deaths of the three people discovered in Dockyard during the early morning of the 1^st November.

Comment has also been made that Police Officers did not respond to these reports.

This is not true. Police Patrols did attend the area of Timber Crest and searched the immediate area. The vehicle was found outside of this immediate search area by members of the public the following morning.

As a learning organization and in the interests of transparency, the Police response to the calls regarding gunshots being heard during the evening of the 31^st October is under a review, so we can establish how we dealt with that call and identify where we could have enhanced our initial response.

What we can confirm is, that a seriously injured seven-year-old girl was alone in a car for a long period of time, knowing that her mother and brother, along with a male involved were dead.

Given that fact, and given the obvious trauma and distress of that seven-year-old child, you will be aware that a number of persons who were on the scene, when the vehicle was found chose to take photographs and videos of the dead and the seriously injured child inside the vehicle and circulate them widely, rather than provide immediate assistance and support to the child at the time when she was at her most vulnerable. At a time when she needed a human touch, a show of humanity and reassurance. Such photos and videos were further recirculated through social media and chat groups.

Some are justifying their actions by saying it is in the public interest. However, any public interest must be balanced against the interests of those involved. It is certainly the view of myself and my Force Executive colleagues that the taking and circulating of those photographs served no purpose and it was certainly not in the public interest. It was definitely not in the interests of a seriously injured and traumatized child.

It is often quoted that ‘THE TRUE MEASURE OF ANY SOCIETY CAN BE FOUND IN HOW IT TREATS ITS MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS’ If this is true, and I think it is, members of this society failed in that moment; a moment when a seven-year-old girl was at her most vulnerable.

I applaud you if you did not pass on the photos and videos and I salute you if you challenged the persons who sent them to you as to how inappropriate the images were.

To those who did take, circulate and recirculate those photographs I would ask that you imagine how you would feel if this was a member of your family, a loved one that was either killed or was in need and others did not help but took photos for circulation.

The Turks and Caicos Islands is a decent, Christian society but if we do not challenge such indecent and unchristian like behaviors,  we run the risk of eroding the very Christian values and decency that we hold dear, that define us.

I sincerely hope that such behavior towards a child in need, or any persons who require help or human kindness is never repeated. I hope that the people involved reflect on what they did and the potentially emotional harm that their actions may have caused.

I do hope in the future that we, as a society. do better in the test as to how we treat out most vulnerable people.

Thank you.