On Thursday, May 21, 2026, the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda’s Office of Strategic Communications issued an official public statement confirming that an internal probe into a controversial social media post tied to a recent high-profile sexual assault conviction is actively underway. The investigation was sparked after the problematic post emerged just days after a High Court jury found prominent local entertainer Horsford guilty of two grave offenses: indecent assault and serious indecency. Critics of the post have raised sharp objections, noting that its content was widely perceived as downplaying the severity of Horsford’s criminal conviction. Community observers and commentators pointed out that public expectations hold all law enforcement officers to a strict standard of upholding core principles: the rule of law, equal justice, community protection, and professional accountability. Any public comment that minimizes sexual violence, they emphasized, does lasting damage to public trust in police institutions. Beyond eroding confidence, critics warned that this kind of messaging amplifies longstanding fears among many citizens that some members of law enforcement hold disproportionately lenient attitudes toward certain offenders. Sexual violence is never a trivial matter or a joking offense, the statement from critics underscored, and inappropriate public commentary around such cases only further harms survivors of assault. In its official address, the Police Administration extended unreserved, sincere apologies to the survivor of the assault, as well as any member of the public who was harmed or offended by the problematic post. Horsford’s conviction wrapped up earlier this week following a full jury trial in the High Court, with a sentencing hearing scheduled to take place at a later, undetermined date. The police force’s public assurance of a serious, active investigation marks a formal response to growing public outcry over the incident.
A police officer is under investigation for apparently showing support for convicted sex offender
