Carib Scope

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  • Child Allegedly Steals Wallet From Parked Vehicle on Brownes Avenue

    Child Allegedly Steals Wallet From Parked Vehicle on Brownes Avenue

    A local resident in the Brownes Avenue neighborhood is publicly calling for the return of personal property after surveillance footage reportedly shows a young boy entering their parked car and taking their wallet over the weekend.

    The vehicle owner says the alleged incident unfolded on Saturday evening, when the unidentified minor gained access to their unattended vehicle and made off with a wallet holding a range of critical personal items. Alongside a sum of cash and multiple payment bank cards, the stolen property includes the owner’s driver’s license, medical card, and several other official personal documents that are costly and time-consuming to replace.

    In a public appeal shared locally, the owner pleaded directly with the young person responsible, saying, “I don’t want to have to come looking,” adding a request that the child “kindly bring back my stuff.” What troubles the owner most, they noted, is the child’s apparent youth: it is deeply distressing to see someone so young allegedly involved in an act of theft, they explained.

    As of the latest update, no official statement has confirmed whether the owner has filed a formal report with local law enforcement, and the child’s identity has not been verified by any official sources.

    The emergence of news of the alleged theft has reignited online conversations about two pressing social issues: the growing trend of juvenile offending, and the critical role that early parental guidance and intervention play in steering children away from criminal behavior before minor missteps escalate into more serious harm.

  • CCJ upholds murder conviction and 28-Year sentence for Barbados man

    CCJ upholds murder conviction and 28-Year sentence for Barbados man

    On July 24, 2026, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the highest appellate court for the Caribbean region, delivered a landmark ruling dismissing a final appeal from a Barbadian man convicted of murder, cementing the guilty verdict and 28-year prison sentence originally handed down more than seven years prior.

    The case centers on Baggio Kristidi Daniel, who was found guilty by a Barbadian trial court in 2019 for the fatal shooting of Alex Romel Samuel. The killing took place on a public minibus operating in Barbados, shocking local communities and prompting a swift criminal investigation that led to Daniel’s arrest. Prosecutors secured the conviction through two key pillars of evidence: consistent testimony from multiple eyewitnesses to the incident, and an oral confession Daniel gave to law enforcement officers while he was in custody following his arrest.

    After the initial guilty verdict, Daniel first appealed the outcome to the Barbados Court of Appeal, which declined to overturn the conviction and sentence. Undeterred, Daniel exercised his right to appeal to the regional supreme court, the CCJ, advancing a series of legal arguments claiming his original trial had been unfair and violated his constitutional rights.

    Daniel’s legal team put forward four core claims to challenge the conviction. First, they argued that Daniel’s constitutional right to consult with a legal attorney before speaking to police had been unlawfully breached during the investigation phase. Second, they contended the trial judge had failed to properly examine and rule on this alleged rights violation. Third, they claimed the trial judge incorrectly allowed the jury to make the final decision on whether Daniel’s confession to police could be admitted as evidence in the case. Finally, they argued the trial judge had neglected to give the jury adequate guidance on evaluating the reliability of certain pieces of evidence presented during proceedings.

    In a unanimous ruling led by Justice Bulkan, and endorsed by CCJ President Justice Anderson alongside fellow justices Rajnauth-Lee, Jamadar and Ononaiwu, the court rejected every one of Daniel’s legal challenges. The judgment detailed that while the trial judge did not issue an explicit formal ruling on the alleged violation of the right to legal counsel, court records from the original trial clearly showed she had effectively ruled that no breach of Daniel’s rights had occurred. By accepting the testimony and evidence provided by responding police officers, the original trial judge implicitly rejected Daniel’s claim that authorities had prevented him from contacting and meeting with a lawyer before interrogation.

    The CCJ also pushed back on the claim that the admissibility of the confession was wrongfully left to the jury. The regional court clarified that the original trial judge had already made a preliminary ruling that the confession was admissible, and the judge’s instructions to the jury were only meant to guide them in assessing whether the confession itself was reliable, not whether it could be considered as evidence at all. In its ruling, the CCJ reiterated a core legal principle: juries are required to throw out any confession obtained through oppressive tactics or in violation of a defendant’s fundamental rights, even if the jury believes the confession is factually true.

    Additionally, the court found that under existing CCJ legal precedent, the original trial was not required to issue a special warning about the reliability of disputed evidence. The ruling noted that the trial judge had already given the jury appropriate general caution about evaluating potential weaknesses in any piece of evidence, satisfying judicial requirements.

    The CCJ emphasized throughout the ruling that the right to access legal counsel during criminal proceedings remains a fundamental, non-negotiable protection for all defendants. Even so, the court concluded that no such violation had occurred in Daniel’s case. The justices also highlighted the overall strength of the prosecution’s evidence presented at the original trial. While no single eyewitness directly observed the moment of the shooting, the combined, corroborating testimony of multiple eyewitnesses paired with additional supporting evidence provided more than sufficient grounds for the jury’s guilty verdict, the court found.

    With no material legal errors identified that would have compromised the fairness of Daniel’s original trial, the CCJ officially dismissed the appeal, leaving the 2019 murder conviction and 28-year prison sentence fully intact. Marlon Markland Gordon represented Daniel, the appellant, while Krystal C. Delaney and Neville Watson argued the case for the State of Barbados, the respondent. The full text of the official judgment is now available to the public on the CCJ’s official website, at www.ccj.org.

  • Gouddossier 5: Matawai slaat alarm over aangevoerd materiaal voor goudwinning

    Gouddossier 5: Matawai slaat alarm over aangevoerd materiaal voor goudwinning

    On July 27, an indigenous community in Suriname sounded the alarm after a large shipment of equipment suspected to be used for illegal gold mining was delivered to the border between Atjoni and the Matawai people’s traditional territory. The incident has sparked swift pushback from community leaders and environmental advocates, who are demanding an immediate end to the encroachment.

    Visual evidence obtained by local media outlet Starnieuws clearly shows heavy machinery, water pumps, barrels of fuel oil, and other specialized gear consistent with small-scale and industrial gold mining operations already staged at a makeshift camp within the territory. Marlon Valentijn, captain of the Matawai community, traveled to the site immediately after receiving reports of the incursion to assess the situation firsthand.

    In an interview with Starnieuws, Valentijn stated that camp occupants were given an unambiguous order to leave the area immediately. “We do not want any gold mining activities on our land,” he stated firmly, emphasizing that the Matawai have never consented to extractive operations in their traditional homeland, and the entire community remains united in blocking any attempts to begin mining. During his inspection of the camp, Valentijn encountered two Brazilian men who told him their project supervisor is based in Paramaribo, Suriname’s capital. He confirmed that a substantial volume of equipment has already been moved into the area, and additional excavators are reportedly en route to the site.

    Valentijn announced that relevant national authorities have already been notified of the incursion, and the community is taking all available steps to prevent the unauthorized mining operation from expanding. The situation has also been brought to the attention of John Goedschalk, presidential climate advisor for Suriname and a prominent environmental activist. Goedschalk described the new incursion as deeply worrying, and extended his full and unreserved support to the Matawai community in their opposition to the mining.

    He rejected outright any attempt to develop gold mining operations in the Matawai territory, stressing that no extractive activity should be forced on a community that has clearly stated it does not welcome such projects. For his part, Captain Valentijn said he chose to speak publicly about the incident to make the Matawai’s position clear to all outside parties: no form of gold extraction will be accepted on their traditional land.

    “We want everyone to know that this activity is not permitted on our territory,” Valentijn said, adding that the community will formalize its opposition in official communications with national authorities. He reiterated that all people occupying the camp and all mining equipment must be removed from the area without delay. This latest conflict over unauthorized gold mining comes amid a broader ongoing public debate in Suriname over unregulated extractive activity across the country’s interior, with previous investigative reporting exposing systemic governance gaps and unaddressed environmental damage along key waterways including the Marowijne River.

  • Blind Welfare Association seeks better access to jobs, safety and inclusion

    Blind Welfare Association seeks better access to jobs, safety and inclusion

    In Saint Lucia, advocates for blind and visually impaired residents are pushing for systemic change to break down long-standing barriers that exclude members of this community from full, independent participation in public life. Anthony Avril, president of the Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association, has outlined three persistent, interconnected challenges facing his organization’s members: mass unemployment, inadequate public accessibility, and growing safety concerns that erode quality of life for people living with vision impairment.

    In an interview with local outlet St. Lucia Times, Avril emphasized that blind and visually impaired Saint Lucians hold the same aspirations as their sighted peers, but systemic inequities consistently block them from accessing the same opportunities. “People living with blindness and vision impairment are very much part of the society that we live in,” Avril stated. “They want to be able to benefit from the good of society, but also to have the opportunity to contribute.”

    For the community, securing stable, fair employment stands as the most urgent hurdle to full inclusion. “One of the biggest issues for our clientele is employment,” Avril explained. “We would like to get to a place where employment would be almost like a human right because, yes, we have a right to receive an education and a right to live. If you are going to be able to affirm this right, you ought to be able to look after your needs.”

    Beyond basic financial autonomy, Avril noted that the push for equal employment stems from a broader desire to give back to Saint Lucian society. “For us, we are saying we do not only want to be able to cater for our needs, but also to contribute to the society that we live in,” he added.

    Unemployment is far from the only barrier. Avril pointed out that widespread inaccessibility across public spaces, government buildings, and core services continues to limit independent movement for visually impaired residents. Compounding this accessibility gap is a rising sense of insecurity that affects the community on multiple levels. “Accessibility remains a big challenge, and unfortunately now security has been becoming a major issue,” he said. “When we speak security, it’s not only local security. Security is almost like a multi-level concern because unfortunately it seems the world is bent on a path of doing everything possible to take away your rights of being secured.”

    These daily challenges are not abstract policy issues; they shape the lives of thousands of visually impaired Saint Lucians, including 64-year-old Sarah Joseph, who developed glaucoma 31 years ago. Joseph says that the loss of her vision is not her greatest struggle—instead, it is navigating a built environment and social system that was never designed to accommodate people like her.

    “People think blindness means we can’t work or be independent, but that’s not what it is. What we need (or I need) are opportunities and environments that allow us to participate,” Joseph said. Even routine tasks that many people take for granted, such as crossing a busy intersection, entering a building without tactile paving, or riding public transit, can become insurmountable obstacles without accessible design, she explained.

    “There are days when I want to go somewhere on my own, but I’m forced to depend on someone else because there aren’t enough disability friendly things. Independence shouldn’t be a privilege,” Joseph emphasized.

    Like Avril, Joseph highlighted that widespread misconceptions about the capabilities of visually impaired people keep many qualified candidates out of the workforce. Even after completing education, professional training, and skill-building, many members of the community are still denied the chance to demonstrate their value to employers. “We study, we train, and we develop skills like everyone else. All we’re asking for is the chance to prove ourselves. We don’t want sympathy; we want equal opportunities,” she said.

    As the Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association continues its advocacy for policy and cultural change, Avril says he is hopeful that greater public awareness of these issues will translate to tangible, meaningful improvements across the country. His long-term vision is for a Saint Lucia where every blind and visually impaired resident can live with full dignity, personal safety, and equal access to the opportunities that all members of society deserve.

  • Free Reading Glasses Distribution Begins July 31 For Eligible Residents

    Free Reading Glasses Distribution Begins July 31 For Eligible Residents

    The Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda is rolling out a groundbreaking public health program aimed at addressing unmet vision care needs for its aging population, officials announced this week. A collaboration between the country’s Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs and global non-profit vision health organization RestoringVision, the new effort has been officially branded as the Prime Minister’s Vision Initiative.

    Starting July 31, 2026, the program will roll out its core services across participating community health clinics, offering eligible residents comprehensive access to no-cost vision support. Adults aged 40 and older who meet program requirements will first undergo a complimentary vision screening at clinic sites, and will receive a pair of free reading glasses if they are determined to need them. To confirm eligibility and verify identity, program organizers require all participants to bring a valid government-issued photo ID when they attend their screening appointment.

    Health officials noted that additional community clinic locations will be added to the program network over the course of the initiative, with new announcements made on an ongoing basis as expansion plans are finalized. The initiative is built around a simple but powerful mission: improving individual quality of life by removing barriers to basic vision care. By helping more adults access the corrective lenses they need, program leaders aim to strengthen local communities and create better long-term outcomes for residents across the country. The campaign’s core slogan, “Clear Vision. Better Lives. Stronger Communities. Together, We Can See the Future,” sums up the public health and social goals driving the new effort.

  • Destiny George Begins Junior Chef Internship at Keyonna Beach Resort

    Destiny George Begins Junior Chef Internship at Keyonna Beach Resort

    A promising young culinary talent from Antigua has taken the first major step toward her professional career through a targeted industry training initiative. Destiny George, a student at Ottos Comprehensive School, has officially started a 10-week culinary internship at the luxury Keyonna Beach Resort Antigua, placed through the highly anticipated Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy 2026 program.

    As the sixth young chef selected to be featured in this initiative, George will receive one-on-one mentorship throughout her placement from seasoned professional Chef Patrick Brown. Unlike traditional classroom learning, the internship is designed to immerse participants in the fast-paced environment of a commercial resort kitchen, giving George the chance to build practical, hands-on skills that cannot be learned from textbooks. Over the course of the placement, she will develop core culinary techniques alongside customer-centric hospitality expertise, laying a strong foundation for a future career in Antigua and Barbuda’s thriving tourism sector.

    The structured program follows a clear timeline that builds from training to competitive evaluation: the in-resort internship runs from July 13 through August 21, after which all participating trainee chefs will advance to a high-stakes cook-off competition held between August 25 and 28. The entire initiative will wrap with a formal closing ceremony on September 3, where final awards and recognitions will be distributed to participants.

    The top prize for the program offers a life-changing career opportunity for one outstanding trainee: the selected Top Junior Chef will earn the right to represent Antigua and Barbuda at the 2027 Junior Lit’l Chef Camp hosted in Turks and Caicos, opening doors to international networking, skill development, and industry exposure.

    The Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy is a collaborative effort between three key stakeholders invested in nurturing local talent: the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association, the Ted Isaac Family, and Global Ports Holding, which is the operator of Antigua Cruise Port. The initiative reflects a growing commitment across Antigua’s tourism industry to train young local professionals and build a skilled, homegrown workforce for the country’s top economic sector.

  • How cupcakes helped a Vincy build a business in Taiwan

    How cupcakes helped a Vincy build a business in Taiwan

    Nearly 20 years ago, Alshika Latham left her home in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) for Taiwan, drawn by a prestigious higher education scholarship. What started as a temporary academic opportunity would gradually unfold into a lifelong new chapter, blending education, teaching, and a thriving baking business that has captured the hearts of customers across the island and beyond.

    Latham’s passion for food emerged long before she ever set foot in Taiwan. Growing up between the SVG communities of New Grounds and North Union, she was raised in a family deeply connected to home cooking. Her mother, Yvette Spencer, a retired principal and former food and nutrition educator, nurtured Latham’s interest from early childhood. By the time she was seven years old, Latham could already prepare breakfast and simple family meals, learning by working alongside her elders in the kitchen.

    When Latham first arrived in Taiwan in 2007, she dedicated her first year to mastering Mandarin at National Taiwan Normal University, before going on to earn a bachelor’s degree in travel and tourism from Ming Chuan University, and later a Master of Business Administration in service management from Yuan Ze University. It was during her studies that baking began to take on a new meaning for her: like many expats, she craved the sweet desserts she grew up with back home, so she began baking Caribbean-style treats for herself and fellow Caribbean students.

    As word of her baking spread, more people asked to place orders. Curious to see if her recipes would resonate outside the Caribbean community, Latham shared a homemade cheesecake with her Taiwanese classmates during her master’s studies. Their enthusiastic response gave her the first push to consider turning her hobby into a formal business. Still, she hesitated for months, only spurred into action after the sudden passing of a close friend who had repeatedly encouraged her to pursue her dream. That loss became her catalyst: she created a Facebook page for her brand, Shika’s Treats, in September 2016, and made the official decision to launch on her birthday that October, telling herself, “Just do it.”

    Weeks later, Latham received her invitation to her first local Christmas market. Faced with the challenge of baking 300 cupcakes with only a tiny household oven that could fit just 12 cupcakes per batch, she pulled off endless hours of baking, arriving at the venue hours after opening. But even before she could spread a tablecloth over her stall, customers had already lined up to buy. By the end of her first hour at the market, she had sold nearly 250 cupcakes. That overwhelming early success was the turning point she needed, giving her the confidence to grow Shika’s Treats into a permanent business.

    Nearly a decade later, Shika’s Treats has evolved far beyond its original cupcake roots. Latham now serves a diverse, multicultural customer base, with a menu that ranges from custom celebration cakes and banana bread to traditional Caribbean specialties like black cake. Refusing to limit her craft, she regularly takes on requests for dishes and desserts from other cultures, turning every order into an opportunity to learn new techniques, research new flavour profiles, and connect with more communities. Beyond baked goods, she also accepts small catering orders and regular meal requests for long-term clients, choosing to grow the business slowly to preserve the high quality and personal, customer-focused service that has become her brand’s signature.

    Along her journey, Latham has received widespread support from local communities, crediting Taiwan’s South African expat community with much of her early momentum, after many members became loyal repeat customers following her early market appearances. For Latham, the most rewarding part of running her business has never been just the sales—it is the deep connections she has built with customers along the way. Though she describes herself as an introvert, she says interacting with and serving people at events brings her immense joy. She also remains open to customer feedback, framing criticism as an opportunity to refine her craft rather than a setback.

    Sourcing traditional Caribbean ingredients in Taiwan presented early challenges, as many common items were not readily available locally. In recent years, however, the growth of online shopping and speciality international food suppliers has made this process far easier. Latham’s improved Mandarin proficiency has also been a key asset, helping her build trusting relationships with local suppliers and source all the materials she needs to create her treats.

    Latham’s journey building a life in Taiwan has not been without its difficulties. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she originally planned to return to SVG, but new opportunities, including the master’s program, convinced her to stay to pursue more goals. Adapting to cultural differences took time, and during her master’s studies, while living in an isolated area, she struggled with long-term depression and feelings of being an outsider. Rather than letting these challenges define her, however, they helped her grow into a more open, understanding person. She learned to embrace cultural differences, shifting her perspective to recognize that different customs did not equal wrong customs—just different ways of life.

    Today, Latham remains in Taiwan, drawn by the peaceful, convenient lifestyle and the meaningful relationships she has built over nearly 20 years. She now balances her thriving baking business with a career in education, and advises international students considering studying abroad to approach their experience with an open mind: if you are not willing to learn about local people and cultures, she says, you will only see every difference as a negative.

    Looking back on her journey, Latham reflects on her path with deep gratitude. What began as a single scholarship opportunity has grown into a full life shaped by education, lasting friendships, a rewarding teaching career, and a business that continues to evolve with each new request. Guided by her core values of humility, compassion, and faith, she says that what brings her the most contentment is the chance to serve others and bring joy to her customers: “If I can serve others or make them happy, that makes me content.”

    This story was produced by Kemarlie Durrant, a third-year mass communication and journalism student at Ming Chuan University, as part of an internship collaboration with the Embassy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to Taiwan, a requirement for completion of Durrant’s bachelor’s degree.

  • LETTER: President Alincia Williams-Grant seems to be timid but a no nonsense person

    LETTER: President Alincia Williams-Grant seems to be timid but a no nonsense person

    On July 23, 2026, a contentious senate debate marked a notable shift in the dynamics of the nation’s legislative chamber, according to an opinion piece shared by a regular observer of parliamentary proceedings, Alex. For years, this observer has followed senate debates from home via television broadcasts, but this particular session stood out for an unprecedented display of assertiveness from Senate President Alincia Williams-Grant.

    Widely known for her calm, measured approach to presiding over senate business, Williams-Grant publicly expressed visible frustration during the debate, a departure from her typical composed demeanor. The observer notes that this outburst was not unprovoked: opposition senators, particularly senior Senator Malaka Parker, pushed the Senate President outside her usual professional comfort zone with aggressive procedural challenges and pointed questioning.

    Public and political commentary has already split over Williams-Grant’s reaction, with some critics framing her response as evidence of partisan bias, while others dismiss it as a calculated political maneuver. But from the writer’s perspective, the Senate President’s conduct reaffirms her reputation as a thoroughly professional, even-handed leader who has consistently demonstrated remarkable patience and composure throughout her tenure.

    Beyond her leadership skills, the author highlights Williams-Grant’s extraordinary linguistic command: she speaks the formal King’s English with striking eloquence and clear articulation, and has a unique, impressive ability to seamlessly code-switch to the local native dialect when emphasizing key points for legislators and audiences watching at home. This skill, the writer argues, makes her uniquely effective at uniting and guiding the chamber during tense moments, and deserves public recognition.

    Turning to the newly seated opposition senate cohort, the observer offers rare praise, arguing that this group of legislators is the strongest opposition bloc assembled in decades. The performance during the July 23 debate makes clear that this is a cohesive, well-prepared team that will emerge as a formidable political force in the chamber over the coming term. Led by Senators Chester Hughes, Malaka Parker, Ashworth Azille, and Johnathan Wehner, the opposition has already demonstrated that they are fully prepared to tackle tough policy debates and push back against government initiatives aggressively.

    This new, energized opposition means that ruling party senators, despite holding a numerical majority in the chamber, will not face an easy, unchallenged term. The July 23 debate was merely a preview of the tense, confrontational legislative battles ahead. In the coming sessions, observers should expect more frequent emotional outbursts, increased cross-talk between opposing sides, and more frequent procedural clashes than have been seen in previous terms.

    Despite the rising tensions, the writer expresses unwavering confidence that Williams-Grant has the skill and authority to maintain order and keep all senators accountable. The stern public warning she issued during the July debate should serve as a clear wake-up call to legislators on both sides of the aisle: the rules of the chamber will be enforced firmly going forward, and business as usual will not be tolerated. As the writer puts it, Williams-Grant has already made her expectations clear, and all senators would be wise to heed her warning.

  • CDB supports study exploring regional stock exchange for CARICOM countries

    CDB supports study exploring regional stock exchange for CARICOM countries

    The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has committed a $100,000 grant through its 11th Special Development Fund to the CARICOM Private Sector Organization Inc. (CPSO), launching a landmark feasibility study to explore the creation of a unified regional stock exchange under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). This grant forms part of a broader $324,700 Phase One investment in the initiative, with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) joining CDB as a supporting partner.

    Currently, multiple national stock exchanges operate independently across the Caribbean, leaving regional capital markets fragmented. This fragmentation creates unnecessary barriers for both investors and businesses looking to expand cross-border activity, limiting economic upside for the entire region. Proponents of a unified exchange argue that integration would unlock a range of benefits, from attracting larger volumes of foreign investment and increasing overall market liquidity to driving down the cost of capital for local enterprises. In particular, small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) — which form the backbone of most Caribbean national economies — stand to gain greatly from expanded access to affordable financing that a connected regional market would provide.

    The upcoming study will not only assess whether a regional exchange is a viable venture, but also evaluate potential structural models that could work for the Caribbean’s unique economic context. Research teams will examine four core focus areas: existing demand for integrated capital market services across all CARICOM member states, the legal and regulatory adjustments required to enable cross-border market integration, successful models for regional exchanges operating in other parts of the world, and input from key stakeholders across both the public and private sectors. A key priority for the assessment is also identifying strategies to expand capital access for historically underserved groups, including women-led enterprises, young entrepreneurs, and marginalized communities that often face disproportionate barriers to securing financing.

    Lisa Harding, Division Chief of CDB’s Private Sector Division, emphasized that deep, inclusive financial markets are foundational to the Caribbean’s long-term economic trajectory. “The Caribbean’s long-term growth depends on our ability to create stronger, more accessible financial markets that support entrepreneurship, innovation and investment,” Harding said. She added that the feasibility study will deliver the evidence-based analysis needed to determine how a regional stock exchange can expand access to capital, accelerate private sector development, and advance the broader goal of regional economic integration. “It also reflects CDB’s commitment to building institutions and financial systems that foster inclusive and sustainable growth across our member countries,” Harding noted.

    Once the first-phase assessment is complete, all findings will be presented at a dedicated regional symposium, where policymakers, financial regulators, private sector leaders, and international development partners will gather to review recommendations and chart a path forward for Caribbean capital market integration. The initiative aligns with CDB’s core institutional priorities: strengthening regional financial systems, boosting private sector growth, building economic resilience, and deepening cooperation and integration across CARICOM member states.

  • Family Appeals for Missing 16-Year-Old Janteah Small to Return Home

    Family Appeals for Missing 16-Year-Old Janteah Small to Return Home

    One week has passed since 16-year-old Janteah Small walked out of her home and vanished without a trace, and local law enforcement is now turning to the wider community for help to track down the missing teenager. Since Janteah’s disappearance, there has been no contact, no sightings, and no confirmed information about her whereabouts, which has left her family in a state of growing anxiety. Her relatives have issued a heartfelt public plea, urging the teenager to reach out in any way possible if she is able, and to return home where she is waited for safely. In addition to the family’s appeal, law enforcement has also addressed a direct message to Janteah herself: officials have asked her to contact either her loved ones or local police if she is in a position to do so, to confirm her safety and end the uncertainty that has stretched on for seven days. No extra details have been made public about the circumstances of her disappearance: authorities have not released information about where Janteah was last spotted, or what clothing she was wearing when she left her home, leaving investigators relying on tips from community members to move the case forward. Members of the public who hold any information, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, that could help law enforcement locate Janteah are being directed to three channels to submit their tips. They can visit their closest local police department to share information in person, call the Criminal Investigations Department directly at the hotline number 462-3913/14, or submit an anonymous tip through the Crimestoppers hotline at 800-TIPS (8477). Officials note that all tips will be investigated promptly, and anonymous submissions remain fully confidential to protect anyone who wishes to share information without revealing their identity.