作者： admin

The Bahamian government has officially inaugurated the Protection Against Violence Commission, marking a pivotal transition from legislative framework to operational reality under the Protection Against Violence Act of 2023. This landmark development, effective February 1, 2026, establishes a comprehensive enforcement mechanism nearly three years after the law’s initial gazetting.

At a press conference closed to media but documented through an official release, Minister of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting Myles LaRoda characterized violence as a multidimensional threat to both individual security and national stability. “The harm inflicted upon women reverberates through families, weakens communities, and ultimately compromises national progress,” LaRoda asserted, framing the Commission as the institutional force that transforms legislative intent into coordinated action.

The newly appointed Commission Chair Marisa Mason-Smith announced the body’s immediate shift from strategic planning to implementation, acknowledging foundational contributors including Dr. RubyAnn Nottage, Dr. Sandra Dean-Patterson, and the legislative drafting team led by Jewel Major from the Office of the Attorney General. “With expert groundwork established and legislation enacted,” Mason-Smith declared, “we now commence purposeful execution with unwavering resolve to eliminate violence.”

Commission Co-Chair Pastor David Burrows addressed the generational nature of the challenge, emphasizing that meaningful impact requires educating upcoming generations to break cyclical patterns of violence. Desiree Clarke of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities highlighted the heightened vulnerability of disabled individuals, insisting that protection strategies must incorporate inclusive design principles.

The Commission represents a whole-of-society approach rooted in legal, strategic, cultural, and faith-based dimensions. The Department of Gender and Family Affairs, under Director Sharmie Farrington, will administer the Commission’s operational functions, including coordination and oversight mechanisms. Religious and cultural representatives including Dr. Roslyn Astwood of the Bahamas Christian Council and Deputy Director of Culture Portia Sands emphasized that confronting violence through moral accountability and compassion ultimately strengthens Bahamian social fabric by reinforcing familial respect and communal responsibility.

A significant identity fraud case involving the illicit acquisition of official Bahamian documents has resulted in the imprisonment of two individuals pending trial. Max Veve Pierre, an 18-year-old Haitian national, and his 59-year-old accomplice, Gersey Pierre, stand accused of orchestrating a sophisticated scheme to obtain government-issued identification under false pretenses.

According to prosecution details presented in court, the alleged conspiracy began on December 23, 2024, when both defendants reportedly agreed to fraudulently secure a Bahamian passport. The plan allegedly came to fruition on February 3, 2025, when they successfully obtained a passport issued in Max’s name from the official Passport Office.

The criminal complaint further reveals that Max Pierre allegedly utilized the fraudulent passport to obtain additional official documentation. Prosecutors assert that on January 23, he presented the document at the Parliamentary Registry to secure a Bahamian voter’s card, effectively attempting to establish false citizenship credentials.

The scheme allegedly reached its critical point on February 24, when Max Pierre presented the counterfeit passport to immigration authorities at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA). It was during this interaction that immigration officers detected irregularities in the documentation, leading to the unraveling of the entire operation and the subsequent arrest of both individuals.

Following a court appearance before Senior Magistrate Anishka Isaacs, both defendants entered pleas of not guilty to the multiple charges against them. Max Pierre faces three counts of possessing false documents, two counts of uttering false documents, and fraud by false pretenses. Both defendants additionally face charges of conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretenses.

Despite their professions as construction workers, the court deemed the allegations sufficiently serious to warrant remand. Both individuals were subsequently transferred to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, where they will remain until their trial commences on May 21. Inspector Timothy Bain is leading the prosecution in this case.

Nassau, Bahamas – Seven students from Doris Johnson Senior High School have been formally charged by police following a violent campus altercation that was captured on video and disseminated across social media platforms. The incident, which sparked widespread public concern, shows a chaotic physical confrontation involving multiple students engaging in aggressive behavior.

According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Chaswell Hanna, the students face multiple charges including disorderly conduct, causing harm, and engaging in physical fighting. The widely circulated footage depicts a group of male students exchanging blows, with one individual lifting and throwing a chair at another participant. The confrontation escalated further when a student picked up a rock and struck another student in the head, while audible profanity and shouting filled the background.

Police authorities confirmed that injuries sustained during the incident were minor, consisting primarily of scrapes and cuts that were treated by the school’s medical staff. ACP Hanna emphasized that law enforcement officials are collaborating with educational authorities and school safety partners to implement preventive measures against future occurrences.

The police representative highlighted the availability of alternative intervention programs designed to redirect student behavior without immediate recourse to the criminal justice system. “We provide school students an opportunity to redeem themselves through participation in behavioral correction programs,” Hanna stated. “With parental consent, we place students in these initiatives, which have demonstrated success in most previous cases.”

Addressing rumors of a school lockdown, Hanna clarified the terminology, explaining that while administrative staff brought the situation under control, the term “lockdown” inappropriately suggested students were in grave danger, which was not the case.

Dominique McCartney-Russell, Director of Education, confirmed the ongoing investigation into the incident, noting that several involved students have been suspended to REFOCUS centers and will participate in restorative justice initiatives. Parent conferences have been conducted, with additional consequences to be determined as the investigation progresses.

The family of Spanish-American sailor Miguel Campoy has initiated a crowdfunding campaign to finance a comprehensive private investigation into his mysterious disappearance near South Abaco six months ago. The 56-year-old mariner vanished on September 6 after departing aboard his 44-foot blue-hulled sailboat named Hella, with his final communication indicating calm seas and an unexpectedly prolonged journey.

Following the suspension of official search operations by both the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the United States Coast Guard, the family has exhausted considerable resources funding private aerial and maritime searches. The campaign aims to raise €18,000 to pursue advanced investigative measures including specialized satellite imagery analysis, legal action to obtain crucial mobile phone records, and enhanced maritime traffic pattern assessment.

To date, investigators have recovered only Campoy’s support dinghy containing personal belongings and identification documents, while the primary vessel remains missing without confirmed debris. Advanced satellite analysis has identified another vessel transiting through the area approximately when contact was lost, though authorities have been unable to establish communication with the ship’s captain or operating company.

Miriam Campoy, the sailor’s sister, emphasizes that while no allegations of wrongdoing are being made against any vessel, the family believes it reasonable to determine whether maritime witnesses observed unusual activity. The family faces additional challenges in obtaining critical mobile phone data from service providers and manufacturers, with neither Spanish nor Bahamian authorities successfully securing this information.

The family has now engaged U.S. legal representation to pursue court orders for accessing mobile records and last-known location data. While expressing appreciation for Bahamian officials’ courtesy, Campoy noted that resource constraints may have limited the official investigation’s scope.

The raised funds will be exclusively dedicated to continuing search operations, investigative efforts, and offering a monetary reward for verifiable information regarding Campoy’s disappearance. The family has explicitly dismissed suggestions that the sailor staged his disappearance, citing his strong family connections and planned meetings with friends shortly after his vanishing.