Carib Scope

标签： Bahamas

巴哈马

  • OPBAT framework allows US counter-drug operations

    OPBAT framework allows US counter-drug operations

    For over 40 years, Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos — widely known by its acronym OPBAT — has served as the formal legal foundation that allows United States counter-narcotics personnel and aircraft to conduct operations across Bahamian territory. This longstanding partnership has moved into the spotlight this week, as new questions emerge about the activities of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents operating in the island nation, putting OPBAT’s rules and authority under fresh scrutiny.

    The trilateral initiative was first launched in 1982 as a joint effort between the United States, the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom (which acts on behalf of the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory). It was created to address a rapidly growing crisis: the explosion of cocaine and marijuana trafficking through the northern Caribbean that had begun in the late 1970s. At that time, the chain of Bahamian islands and their surrounding waters had become critical transit points and refueling hubs for criminal organizations smuggling narcotics from South America to consumer markets in the United States.

    A 2011 U.S. congressional testimony laid out the core structure of the agreement: it explicitly authorizes OPBAT-affiliated helicopters and personnel to carry out counter-drug missions across both the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Operational leadership has fallen primarily to the DEA since the program’s founding, with close collaboration from multiple U.S. agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of State, alongside law enforcement units from the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.

    From its earliest days, the partnership has divided responsibilities clearly between participating forces, per historical documentation. A 2001 State Department report on OPBAT activities notes that local officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) Drug Enforcement Unit and the Turks and Caicos Police led all enforcement actions, including arrests and drug seizures. DEA special agents joined missions only to provide strategic guidance, cross-border coordination, and intelligence support. The program has relied heavily on U.S. assets to cover the Bahamas’ vast, spread-out archipelago, including advanced surveillance technology, aircraft, and maritime enforcement resources.

    The long-running partnership remains active decades later, with high-profile seizures continuing into 2024. In March of this year, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that OPBAT partners carried out a major seizure in Mayaguana, where Bahamian police and DEA agents intercepted a suspected smuggling aircraft and seized approximately 391 kilograms of cocaine. The RBPF took custody of the arrested suspect and lead the ongoing investigation, in line with the program’s longstanding role division.

    Beyond counter-narcotics work, OPBAT’s resources and infrastructure have been repurposed for other regional security priorities. U.S. authorities confirm that OPBAT assets have been deployed to disrupt human smuggling networks and support search-and-rescue operations across the northern Caribbean. The broader security partnership has also allowed the U.S. to deliver critical equipment and specialized training to Bahamian law enforcement agencies. Between 2013 and 2019, four high-speed marine interception vessels donated through U.S. assistance programs participated in OPBAT missions, contributing to the seizure of nearly eight metric tons of cocaine. Official data shows that OPBAT seized 219 metric tons of illegal drugs across the region in 2019 alone.

    Historical records highlight the program’s cumulative impact over four decades. By 2003, just 21 years after its launch, U.S. officials cited U.K. government data reporting that OPBAT had seized more than 75,000 kilograms of cocaine and 375,000 kilograms of marijuana since operations began. The U.S. Coast Guard has repeatedly described OPBAT as the cornerstone of regional security cooperation in the northern Caribbean, and officials from all participating nations have held ongoing discussions about updating and expanding the framework to address evolving transnational crime threats.

    Despite this long history of cooperation, the existence of the OPBAT framework does not resolve the questions at the heart of the current controversy. It remains unconfirmed whether the DEA agents at the center of this week’s dispute were conducting activities as part of an official OPBAT mission, or whether their actions fell within the scope of authority granted under the program’s founding agreements.

  • Family claims PMH surgeon admits to surgical error

    Family claims PMH surgeon admits to surgical error

    A Bahamian family is calling for full transparency and legal accountability after a devastating surgical complication left 42-year-old Lamond Brice with necrotic intestines at Nassau’s Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), alleging hospital leadership concealed the error that caused his life-threatening condition for days. Brice, a loving father and beloved family member described by relatives as the constant “life of the party” before his procedure, was admitted to PMH on September 3 to remove a confirmed non-cancerous growth from his stomach, according to his family’s account.

    The first procedure was carried out on September 4, and clinicians initially told the family the surgery had gone according to plan. Within days, however, Brice’s condition declined sharply: he began experiencing persistent vomiting and crippling abdominal pain, prompting clinicians to order a CT scan that revealed severe internal damage. He was rushed into emergency second surgery on September 7, where family members say they were informed his intestines had already begun to die.

    For days after the second procedure, Brice’s relatives told reporters they were given no clear explanation for what triggered the tissue damage, despite multiple scheduled meetings with the care team. It was only after Malaya Curry, Brice’s aunt, pressed the lead surgeon for a full explanation that the clinician admitted his team had accidentally nicked a key vein during the initial September 4 operation. “He said, ‘I am sorry. I made a mistake,’” Curry recalled in an interview, adding that the hidden error robbed the family of the chance to seek alternative care outside of PMH. “If they had told me the truth and been honest with me, I could’ve probably saved his life or do more to get more help.”

    According to Curry’s account, following the discovery of the damaged vein, clinicians left Brice’s abdomen open for roughly three days while they attempted to repair the injury by grafting a healthy vein harvested from his thigh to the abdominal region. A third procedure was later performed to restore blood flow and function to the dying intestines, but the intervention was ultimately unsuccessful. Clinicians eventually informed the family that no further curative treatment could be provided, and care shifted entirely to palliative measures to keep Brice comfortable as his condition worsens.

    Today, Brice remains alert but unable to speak, as intubation tubes inserted through his mouth are required to manage bowel waste that can no longer pass through his digestive system normally. His family says watching his rapid physical decline has been an agonizing experience, with daily visits to the intensive care unit leaving them heartbroken. “It hurt to my core in my heart to see my nephew in the hospital,” Curry said. “I got to go every day to see him suffering, dying a slow death because of the hands at PMH.”

    Brice’s niece, Marissa Rolle, says the family is now pushing for PMH to cover the cost of emergency overseas care, including a portable total parenteral nutrition (TPN) pump to deliver nutrients intravenously and a life-saving intestinal transplant that is not available at the Bahamian public hospital. The family submitted an official formal complaint to the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA), which oversees PMH, this week and has retained legal counsel to pursue a negligence claim against the facility. Rolle noted that the family is far from the first to experience harm from preventable errors at PMH, saying “It’s too many families going into PMH and having to go through the same thing, negligence after negligence. So, we just want justice. We just want him to get the right treatment needed.”

    In an official statement provided to the Tribune, PHA acknowledged it has received the family’s concerns and confirmed the complaints are currently under active internal review. The authority noted that PMH’s clinical leadership has maintained consistent communication with Brice’s family throughout the review process, and that PHA “takes concerns regarding patient care seriously and remains committed to ensuring that all matters raised are appropriately reviewed in accordance with established clinical and administrative procedures.” PHA declined to share further details about Brice’s care, citing mandatory patient confidentiality rules and the ongoing status of the internal review.

  • Man fatally shot after answering knock at door

    Man fatally shot after answering knock at door

    A fatal shooting has shaken a residential community in the Bahamas, after a man in his early 30s was gunned down Wednesday afternoon moments after answering a knock at the front door of his Cowpen Road home, law enforcement officials confirmed this week.

    Chief Superintendent Sheria King, head of the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s press liaison division, told reporters the agency received an emergency call alerting officers to the shooting on Cowpen Road West shortly after 1:30 p.m. First responders who rushed to the scene immediately found the victim with multiple visible gunshot wounds to his upper body. Despite urgent efforts to provide medical assistance, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

    As of the initial investigation, details about the case remain sparse, King said. Law enforcement’s preliminary findings paint a clear picture of the attack: the victim was inside his private residence when an unknown party knocked on the front entrance. When the man opened the door to greet the visitor, the person or people standing outside immediately opened fire, killing him instantly. No additional information about potential suspects, a motive for the attack, or any witnesses has been released to the public as detectives continue processing evidence and interviewing persons of interest.

    This latest fatal shooting marks the second deadly gun-related incident to hit the country earlier this month. Just weeks prior, a second man in his early 40s was shot and killed on Richard Drive in the Adelaide district. The victim, a landscaper, was murdered just moments after he finished his work shift at Adelaide Primary School and left the campus.

    The proximity of that first shooting to the local primary school triggered immediate safety protocols, with school administrators placing the entire campus under an emergency lockdown to protect students and staff. Law enforcement quickly confirmed that all five students and 10 staff members who were on campus at the time of the shooting were never in any danger, and the lockdown was lifted once police secured the area.

  • Two men killed in Lyford Cay construction site accident

    Two men killed in Lyford Cay construction site accident

    A tragic industrial accident at a Lyford Cay construction site on Wednesday afternoon has claimed the lives of two workers, after unstable ground beneath their feet gave way and left them trapped under tons of displaced soil.

    Local law enforcement confirmed that emergency dispatch received reports of the incident just before 4 p.m., with first responders immediately redirected to the worksite located in western New Providence. Upon arrival at the location, uniformed officers were guided to the accident zone by on-site security staff, where they discovered the two trapped workers already unresponsive.

    Early findings from initial investigative work outline a clear sequence of events: the two employees were moving south along a newly poured foundation wall when the uncompacted adjacent soil suddenly collapsed. The collapse pulled both men downward into the void created by the sliding ground, burying them completely before they could escape.

    Fellow workers stationed at the site did not wait for emergency personnel to arrive, launching an immediate rescue effort to clear the fallen soil and pull the trapped men to the surface. Once the pair were recovered, regional Emergency Medical Services teams conducted on-site assessments, but could only confirm that both men had already lost their lives, with no detectable vital signs present.

    As of the latest update, law enforcement officials have stated that full investigations into the cause of the collapse remain ongoing, with inspectors set to assess site safety protocols and soil stability to determine what contributed to the fatal incident.

  • Cooper: School maintenance must be year-round effort

    Cooper: School maintenance must be year-round effort

    A recent falling ceiling fan incident at a Bahamian public primary school that left at least one student injured has prompted Education Minister Chester Cooper to confirm the accident was not linked to recent campus renovation work, while also pushing forward long-planned reforms to create a permanent, structured year-round school maintenance program. Though Minister Cooper declined to publicly name the affected campus in his official comments, local outlet Eyewitness News has identified the school as Albury Sayle Primary School, confirming that at least one student sustained injuries when the fixture collapsed.

    Affected family members have publicly raised pressing questions about the fan’s upkeep history, including when it underwent its most recent official safety inspection and whether other aging fixtures across the campus present similar unaddressed safety hazards to students and staff. Minister Cooper described the incident as deeply regrettable during a press briefing this week, noting that the accident laid bare critical flaws in the country’s current approach to public school maintenance, which has long concentrated all major repair and inspection work exclusively during summer break when students are off-campus.

    “Since I took on this role as education minister, I have consistently pushed for a more structured, ongoing maintenance framework,” Cooper stated. “We can no longer limit all repair and inspection work to the summer months. Going forward, preventative maintenance will be an ongoing, year-round exercise across all public education facilities.”

    When asked directly whether the Ministry of Education would assume financial responsibility for any medical or other costs stemming from the incident, Cooper did not provide a direct response. He did confirm that ministry leadership has remained in constant contact with the affected family, adding that student health and safety is the government’s top priority in the wake of the accident. “We are focused entirely on supporting the family and ensuring this matter is processed as smoothly as possible, doing everything in our power to assist,” he said, noting that senior ministry officials have a standard protocol of reaching out to impacted families immediately after any campus facility incident to offer government support.

    Cooper also revealed he has personally spoken with the family impacted by the falling fan, as well as the family of a 16-year-old 11th-grade student injured in an unrelated lightning strike incident on the grounds of RM Bailey Senior High School. Out of respect for the privacy of both families, Cooper declined to share further specific details about either incident, but confirmed that “thank God, the children are fine, and we continue to do everything in our power to ensure ongoing safety improvements across all schools.”

    Cooper reiterated that student safety and family welfare remain the ministry’s non-negotiable top priority in the wake of any campus incident, stating: “It’s always safety first. Our first concern will always be the well-being of the child and their family.”

  • Works steps up drainage maintenance as rains continue

    Works steps up drainage maintenance as rains continue

    As the Bahamas enters its extended rainy season, the Ministry of Works has ramped up proactive drainage maintenance efforts across flood-vulnerable zones of New Providence, while highlighting a host of structural and human-caused factors that are worsening recurrent flooding across the island.

    Francis Clarke, a senior highway engineer overseeing the ministry’s road maintenance and construction division, outlined that his department pre-deploys work teams ahead of both the annual rainy season and Atlantic hurricane season to clear clogged drainage networks in areas with a long history of flooding. High-priority locations repeatedly targeted for these upkeep efforts include downtown Bay Street, York Street, and the residential community of Pinewood Gardens. Clarke emphasized that drain maintenance is a year-round priority for the department, rather than a seasonal reactive measure. Residents who encounter persistent flooding in their neighborhoods are encouraged to report issues via the department’s dedicated public hotline for rapid assessment.

    For Pinewood Gardens, which faces frequent flood disruptions, the ministry has launched a data collection initiative to inform a long-term flood mitigation project. Ordered lift stations, a core component of the upgraded drainage system, have not yet cleared customs and arrived in the country. Under the project’s design-build contract, the lead contractor is currently gathering detailed hydrogeological data to finalize engineering blueprints. In the interim, maintenance crews continue regular cleaning and upkeep of existing drainage assets in Pinewood Gardens and adjacent flood-prone areas to reduce temporary flood risk.

    Clarke also shared an update on ongoing infrastructure work in Coral Harbour, where sidewalk rehabilitation is progressing alongside drainage system upgrades. Like the lift stations for Pinewood Gardens, new mechanical pumps required for the Coral Harbour project are still awaiting shipment to the island. Clarke noted that Coral Harbour saw significant flooding during this year’s rainy season after private actors dumped two large loads of construction fill in natural drainage corridors, blocking water flow and forcing excess runoff onto surrounding roads and properties. While the project has faced minor delays, Clarke confirmed full construction will resume imminently. Once completed, the upgraded Coral Harbour drainage system will use mechanical pumps to move excess stormwater from detention ponds into the nearby canal, and a dedicated long-term maintenance program will be put in place to keep the pumps fully operational during storm events.

    Beyond these two high-profile project sites, Clarke drew attention to systemic challenges facing New Providence’s entire flood management network. Many existing drainage lines were installed decades ago, he explained, and were never engineered to meet modern hydrological standards that account for increased urban development and shifting rainfall patterns linked to climate change. While the current network is sufficient to handle baseline runoff from public roadways, heavy storms frequently wash large volumes of debris into drains, causing clogs that reduce system capacity. Clarke partially attributed this debris buildup to uncovered trucks hauling construction aggregate and other materials from unpaved access roads to paved public corridors, with loose material spilling out onto roads to be washed into drains during downpours.

    Unregulated private development is another major contributor to systemic flooding, Clarke stressed. Under the Bahamas’ Control Act, private property owners are required to manage stormwater runoff generated on their own land. However, many private commercial parking lots and new residential developments route their excess runoff directly onto public roadways, overloading the public drainage network that was only designed to handle runoff from the road right-of-way itself.

    “Our public drainage infrastructure is sized to handle the exact footprint of the roadway. When additional runoff from private developed properties pours into the system, it pushes the network past its capacity, and that leads to widespread flooding,” Clarke said.

    He added that the steady conversion of natural wetlands for new development has also eroded New Providence’s natural flood defenses, as wetlands act as natural sponges and provide unobstructed pathways for stormwater to drain from inland areas to the ocean. The combination of outdated infrastructure, unregulated private development runoff, wetland loss, and growing urban density continues to create persistent flood management challenges for the entire island of New Providence, he concluded.

  • Cooper sees cruise-and-stay potential in Sandals deal

    Cooper sees cruise-and-stay potential in Sandals deal

    A transformative $3 billion deal that sees Royal Caribbean Group acquire a 50% shareholding in Caribbean hospitality giant Sandals Resorts International has emerged as a potential game-changer for the stalled redevelopment of a closed resort in the Bahamas’ Exuma region, according to the country’s tourism minister. Cheste Cooper, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Exuma, told local media this week that the fresh capital injection from the major global cruise operator is set to unlock long-awaited progress on the conversion of the shuttered Sandals Emerald Bay property into the new Beaches Exuma family resort.

    Royal Caribbean’s widely reported agreement to purchase half of Sandals Resorts International, first announced in recent weeks, is on track to finalize in early 2027. Once completed, the transaction will bring all 20 of Sandals’ existing Caribbean resorts into a new joint venture between the two travel and leisure leaders. For the Exuma project, which has remained idle since the original Sandals Emerald Bay closed its doors in August 2024, Cooper said the deepened financial backing from Royal Caribbean makes the full redevelopment all but certain.

    The overhaul project is projected to require more than $100 million in total investment to transform the property into a premium family-friendly Beaches-branded destination. Planned upgrades include expanded and updated guest accommodations, new specialty dining outlets, a large-scale water park, new recreational sports facilities, and a range of modern visitor amenities that align with the Beaches brand’s family-focused value proposition. Cooper emphasized that the new capital from the joint venture is expected to flow directly into this project, and could also unlock additional tourism-focused investment across the Bahamas in the coming years.

    Beyond direct financial support, the MP and tourism minister laid out a compelling strategic case for the partnership, highlighting a unique opportunity to create integrated cruise-and-stay vacation packages that leverage Royal Caribbean’s industry-leading cruise operations and Sandals’ reputation for premium all-inclusive resort hospitality. As one of the world’s largest cruise line operators, Royal Caribbean already brings more cruise passengers to Bahamian ports than almost any other competitor, creating a natural synergy with the company’s new resort holdings.

    “This pairing of Royal Caribbean’s global transportation network with Sandals’ world-class hospitality creates a true win-win outcome that will benefit not just Exuma, but also New Providence and every Bahamian island that hosts Sandals properties,” Cooper noted. He added that as the representative for Exuma, he welcomes the agreement and is optimistic about the economic and employment gains it will deliver for local residents.

    Cooper also reflected on Sandals’ long-standing legacy as a homegrown Caribbean brand that has grown into a global hospitality leader. Founded in 1981 by the late Gordon “Butch” Stewart, Sandals now operates a portfolio of all-inclusive properties across the Caribbean under both its flagship Sandals adults-only brand and the family-focused Beaches brand, with locations spanning Jamaica, the Bahamas, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Barbados and multiple other regional destinations. “This is a Caribbean-born brand that has gone global, and that’s something to be proud of,” Cooper said. “I’ve seen firsthand how much it has contributed to the Exuma community over decades, and I’m excited to see what this next chapter brings.”

  • Ministry says Abaco clinic safe as air-conditioning repairs continue

    Ministry says Abaco clinic safe as air-conditioning repairs continue

    A days-long controversy over unsafe working conditions at the Marsh Harbour Healthcare Centre in The Bahamas has come to a new turn, with environmental health authorities confirming the facility is safe for both patients and medical staff after completing official air quality testing that detected no dangerous mould contamination.

    The official announcement of the test results was shared publicly via a social media notice posted to the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ official Facebook page on Thursday, coming three days after the entire facility’s staff walked off the job to protest what they described as persistent, hazardous structural and systemic failures at the clinic.

    Workers who participated in the sick-out raised multiple urgent concerns about the centre’s conditions, including widespread mould growth on overhead ceilings, a completely broken air conditioning system that has been non-functional for an extended period, and plumbing failures that left multiple toilets out of service. Video footage obtained exclusively by The Tribune corroborates these claims, showing extensive dark mould covering large sections of ceiling surfaces, standing water on clinical floors, and dozens of buckets placed throughout patient care areas to catch constant water leaks from the failing infrastructure.

    In initial comments shortly after the protest, Health and Wellness Minister Dr. Michael Darville acknowledged the issues, linking most of the problems to the facility’s aging air conditioning infrastructure, which has been pushed beyond its design limits by recent extreme heat waves in the region. After nurses reported that the poor conditions were already causing negative health impacts for on-duty staff, Darville ordered a specialized assessment team from New Providence to travel immediately to Abaco to inspect the site and conduct formal environmental testing. Prior to the release of test results, the minister noted that he would not make a decision on potential temporary closure of the clinic until he received the official air quality report, emphasizing that protecting both staff and the surrounding community was his top priority.

    “ That’s very important for me because I don’t want to put my staff or the community in harm’s way,” Darville said earlier this week.

    Contrary to workers’ reports of visible mould, the Ministry of Health confirmed Thursday that tests conducted by the Department of Environmental Health Services found no traces of harmful mould in the facility’s air, clearing the clinic to remain open for regular operations. The ministry explained that the visible water damage and damp conditions staff observed stemmed directly from the malfunctioning air conditioning system, which has produced excess condensation that led to standing water build-up across the facility. Repair work on the faulty system is already underway to address the immediate safety concerns raised by staff.

    For the longer term, the ministry confirmed it is moving forward with a permanent full replacement of the clinic’s aging HVAC units, funded through an infrastructure development loan programme administered by the Inter-American Development Bank.

  • Dialysis patients now face surgery delays after GB surgeon’s departure

    Dialysis patients now face surgery delays after GB surgeon’s departure

    A growing healthcare crisis is unfolding in Grand Bahama, where dozens of vulnerable dialysis patients are trapped in a dangerous backlog for life-sustaining access surgery, after the departure of the island’s only local physician trained to perform the procedure left the public healthcare system without critical capacity.

  • Slain primary teacher ‘murdered by husband’

    Slain primary teacher ‘murdered by husband’

    Three months after beloved primary school teacher Jillian Pinder was abducted from her Bahamas home and ultimately killed, two men have finally appeared in court to face charges linked to her death, bringing a fragile sense of relief to the educator’s grief-stricken family, friends and colleagues. The case has gripped local communities, as loved ones spent weeks publicly expressing frustration over delays in law enforcement action, waiting for answers about the attack that cut short the 56-year-old mother of two’s life.

    According to official court documents, 62-year-old George Pinder – the victim’s husband – and 44-year-old Lenardo Farrington are formally accused of conspiring to plan Jillian Pinder’s murder on June 4. Prosecutors allege Farrington carried out the abduction from Pinder’s Lake Cunningham residence on that same date, with two attackers holding the teacher at knifepoint, claiming a close associate of hers owed the group $4,000 before forcing her into captivity at an undisclosed location. Pinder was later dumped, injured, inside her own vehicle in the Wulff Road area.

    In a display of resilience that shocked those who came to her aid, Pinder – despite suffering a life-threatening stab wound to her throat – managed to steer her car into a nearby parked vehicle, drawing attention from the other vehicle’s occupants who immediately called for emergency help. She was first admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit, discharged briefly, then readmitted as her condition deteriorated. She passed away on July 13, more than five weeks after the abduction, and her funeral was held in early August.

    On the day of the arraignment before Assistant Chief Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux, the packed courtroom was filled with the victim’s family, fellow teachers from TG Glover Primary School, and close friends. Multiple female relatives were visibly tearful throughout the brief proceedings. Both defendants appeared calm and neatly dressed in plain white shirts during their court appearance. No pleas were entered at this early stage of the legal process, and the case is scheduled to advance to the Supreme Court via a voluntary bill of indictment. Both men have been remanded into custody at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, with the next procedural check-in set for January 25, 2027. They retain the right to file a bail application with the higher court. George Pinder is represented by attorney Bjorn Ferguson.

    Outside the courthouse, Jillian Pinder’s older brother Jason Rahming spoke on behalf of the family, saying that the long-awaited filing of charges brought at least some measure of peace after three months of uncertainty. “It was a bit of relief just seeing that he was charged,” Rahming told reporters. “And we just hope for swift, swift justice.”

    Rahming remembered his sister as the kindest, most warm-hearted person he had ever known, saying she never deserved the violent fate that befell her. “This tragedy has left a hole in our lives that can never be filled,” he said. “My grief is something that is hard to put into words.”

    Kaliah Sutherland, Pinder’s cousin, said the entire extended family has remained united in their push for accountability. “As I sat by my cousin’s bedside, I told her, ‘you have to get up, you have to tell us who did this to you’,” Sutherland recalled. Though Pinder remained unconscious for her entire final hospital stay and was never able to identify her attackers to family, Sutherland said the family trusts that law enforcement has identified the correct people responsible for her death. “We thank God that justice is being served. It’s been so long. We can’t bring her back, but we know that whoever is responsible will be held before the courts,” she added.