标签： Trinidad and Tobago

A high-profile case alleging years of systematic abuse, captivity and torture of a 42-year-old domestic worker in southern Trinidad is set for a critical court hearing on Monday, with three defendants – a local businesswoman, her 18-year-old son and a third accused man – scheduled to answer a raft of criminal charges before the Siparia Magistrates’ Court.

The three accused have been identified as Fareeda Balgobin, her adult son Joshua Benny, and Rohit Sitahal. All charges stem from alleged offenses that investigators say occurred between June 2019 and April 11, 2026, according to official statements from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).

The victim, named by police sources as Sabita Basdeo, a mother of two, managed to escape her captors on April 11 and made her way directly to the Barrackpore Police Station to file an official report. When she arrived, officers observed visible, fresh injuries across her face and hands, which she told investigators were the result of prolonged abuse at the hands of the three accused. Basdeo told detectives she had been held against her will, forced to work unpaid domestic labor, and repeatedly tortured at a residential property in Penal. Her allegations include being beaten, burned with hot objects, and having her head slammed repeatedly into walls; she also claims that the accused threatened to kill her if she ever attempted to escape. Captivity is alleged to have been enforced continuously from September 2025 up to her escape in April.

Official charge documents show Balgobin faces the most severe and extensive list of charges, including one count of kidnapping, one count of false imprisonment, one count of throwing a noxious substance, two counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm, one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, one count of choking, and three additional related criminal offenses. Benny faces five charges: one count of kidnapping, one count of throwing a noxious substance, two counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm, and one additional related charge. Sitahal is facing four charges: one count of throwing a noxious substance, two counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm, and one additional related charge.

Following Basdeo’s report, the TTPS launched a full criminal investigation, which was assigned to PC Lee Lum and overseen by a team of senior law enforcement officials including Senior Superintendent Simon, W/Supt Bridgelal, ASP Chulhan, Insp Ramdial, Insp Nandlal and Insp Maharaj. Legal guidance for the investigation was provided by ASP Phillip, and formal charging instructions were issued on June 3 by Supt Bridgelal with assistance from Sgt Bassarath.

Both Balgobin and Benny have been held in police custody since April 20, after Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander signed preventative detention orders for the pair in accordance with Paragraph 2 of the Schedule to the Emergency Powers Regulations of 2026. The detention orders name Balgobin as a resident of multiple addresses in Penal’s San Francique district, and allege that she is a confirmed member of an organized Informal Crime Group (ICG) operating across the Penal region. Investigative intelligence linked to the detention order names the group as being responsible for a pattern of serious criminal activity including kidnapping, false imprisonment, forced labor, grievous sexual assault, serious indecency, and attempted murder. Authorities also confirmed that the group had made explicit threats to kill witnesses in the case to prevent prosecution.

The case has been marred by suspicious interference: just four days after Basdeo’s escape, on April 15, one of Balgobin’s unoccupied residential properties was damaged in a fire. No people were present at the property at the time of the blaze, and no injuries were reported. But responding officers found evidence that the fire was intentional arson: a broken bedroom window and forensic confirmation that a Molotov cocktail had been thrown at the building. No additional suspects have been named in connection with the arson to date.

Monday’s court appearance marks the first public procedural step in a case that has shone a spotlight on the risks of abuse and exploitation faced by domestic workers in Trinidad and Tobago, and tested the country’s emergency preventative detention powers for organized criminal groups.

Nine years ago, when Lauralee Basdeo was just four years old, her life changed forever when armed criminals gunned down her father in a shooting in central Trinidad. Left without a primary caregiver after the tragedy, the young girl was taken in and raised by extended family members, who gave her a home and stability through her early childhood.

But hardship would strike again for Basdeo, now 13. Over the past few years, nearly all of the adoptive family members who raised her have passed away from illness, leaving her with just one other surviving blood relative: her mother, Laura Singh. Reuniting to live with Singh once more, Basdeo has faced a steep, uphill climb to build a stable future for herself against stacked odds.

Yet far from being broken by her cumulative losses, the teenager has channeled her grit into pursuing her passions and excelling across multiple areas of her life. Today, as a student at Holy Faith Convent in Couva — her first-choice secondary school, an achievement she earned despite the upheaval and grief that marked her exam preparation period — Basdeo is an active multi-sport athlete and talented musician, carving out a reputation for her skill and determination across Trinidad’s local community.

An avid footballer, cricketer and competitive 5K runner, Basdeo’s talent on the cricket pitch recently caught the attention of professional Trinidadian cricketer Nicholas Pooran, who awarded her a full scholarship to train at his elite batting academy. Beyond sports, she is also a skilled tassa drummer, sharing the stage with world record-holding pannist Joshua Regrello for a performance at a local mall last year. This year, she was invited back to perform for shoppers again on Indian Arrival Day at Gulf City Mall in La Romaine, showcasing her talent to hundreds of attendees.

Speaking to local outlet *Trinidad Express* last week, Singh described her daughter as a paragon of resilience, even in the face of uncertainty about the future. “Even in the midst of everything, she is resilient. She does not give up,” Singh said. “She lost her father so young, she lost her grandparents. If I pass away she has no one, nobody to take care of her. But God sent good people in our lives. We want to show people that you can become something even in these situations. She passed for her first-choice school which is an accomplishment by itself; it was a big achievement. We did not see that coming with all the deaths and writing an exam and passing for your first choice despite everything that we went through.”

Singh added that while Basdeo lacks a large, stable extended family to rely on, the teenager’s obvious drive and natural talent have drawn support from countless community members who have stepped in to nurture her growth. “It feels like when you lose in some areas, God gives you and supplies…She is still able to achieve good things. We want people to know you should not give up in life. Whatever you may be facing, study your work, put God first and keep pressing on. Keep pushing,” she said.

For Basdeo herself, her journey has been one of turning pain into purpose, and she has a clear message of hope for other young people navigating hardship of their own. “Every moment offers a chance for a fresh start and a new direction. Don’t let past hardships define your future. Instead, let them be lessons that guide you toward better decisions. Keep striving, keep being a boss, and never give up on your dreams. Most importantly, keep your faith in God, and don’t let anyone else’s opinions or negativity dim your spark,” she said.

On the annual feast of Corpus Christi, top Roman Catholic religious leader Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon used his keynote address to the faithful to issue a urgent call for deep moral and spiritual transformation across Trinidad and Tobago, arguing that a fundamental shift in national values is required to address growing systemic inequity.

Gordon spoke to a congregation of hundreds of worshippers who gathered at Port of Spain’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, undeterred by overcast conditions and light, intermittent rain that marked the day’s events. Though turnout for the traditional street procession and Holy Eucharist remained robust, attendees noted the crowd was noticeably smaller than in pre-event years.

After the indoor service, participants embarked on the customary procession through central Port of Spain, starting and ending at Independence Square, and winding through Henry Street, Park Street, Piccadilly Street, Duke Street and Nelson Street. Uniformed schoolchildren from multiple local educational institutions joined the march, alongside senior public figures including Government Ministers Kennedy Swaratsingh and Saddam Hosein, and Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro, who attended in civilian attire. Three formal benediction stops were held along the route, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Rosary Church among other locations.

In his homily, Gordon drew a provocative parallel between the ancient Israelites’ 40-year journey through the desert after their exodus from Egypt and Trinidad and Tobago’s own path as an independent nation. He noted that the country has been abundantly blessed with abundant natural resources and unprecedented developmental opportunities, but has consistently failed to leverage these advantages for collective national benefit. “We have become a nation that has wanted only the material stuff, wanted only to feed off of the sensational stuff, wanted only what is glamorous,” he told the gathered congregation.

Gordon pulled no punches in criticizing what he labeled a rising national culture of materialism and entrenched self-interest. Rather than directing the country’s resource wealth toward lifting all citizens, he argued, powerful and private individuals have prioritized accumulating personal gain, leaving vulnerable communities behind. “Everybody trying to eat a food,” he remarked, adding that many wealthy and privileged Trinidadians hoard far more resources than they need for basic comfort and security, leaving growing shares of the population trapped in poverty and destitution.

Rooting his appeal in scripture, Gordon reflected on passages from the Book of Deuteronomy and the First Epistle to the Corinthians, reviving the ancient biblical call to be one’s “brother’s keeper”. Referencing the story of Cain and Abel, he told worshippers the answer to the age-old question of responsibility for community welfare is unambiguous: “Yes, I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper.”

For Gordon, authentic devotion to the Holy Eucharist is inextricably linked to active service to low-income and vulnerable communities. Care for the poor is not an optional add-on to faith, but a core requirement of religious life, he emphasized. He also noted that Corpus Christi has long held traditional cultural meaning as a day for planting crops, framing the holiday as an ideal moment to plant deeper roots of faith and spiritual commitment across the nation. “Today is also the day when the seed of faith is planted deeper,” he said, urging worshippers to open their hearts to divine influence to allow moral conviction to take stronger root.

Seminarian Jameke Brown echoed Gordon’s message of faith-driven social change during a stop on Nelson Street, telling attendees that Catholics are called to transform national and local life through living out their core beliefs. “We are called to partake of God’s body and blood so we can transform our country,” Brown said. “We can transform our communities; we can transform this community. Jesus left two commandments for us: love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength. The second commandment is to love your neighbour as yourself.”

Brown added that a posture of gratitude is the foundation of a deep, lasting relationship with God. “The secret of coming to love God, as I have come to understand it, firstly, is by having a heart of gratitude. Despite our situations, there is always something to be grateful for,” he told attendees.

A retired couple from Trinidad and Tobago returned to a devastating scene on Tuesday afternoon, when they found their Tunapuna family home completely overtaken by a sudden blaze, mere 70 minutes after they had left the property to drop their son off for a work trip.

The property, a two-storey concrete structure located at the intersection of Maingot Road and Monroe Road, belongs to 63-year-old Kungebeharry Samlal, a former checker for the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, and his 62-year-old wife Phulmatee Kadoo Samlal, a retired customer service representative with the Water and Sewerage Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (WASA).

Local police received the first emergency call about the fire at approximately 2:30 p.m. Responding officers arrived on scene within minutes to find the entire residential building already engulfed in dense, hot flames. A team of fire fighters, led by Sub Fire Officer Cooseelal, was deployed immediately to tackle the blaze, and after an intensive firefighting operation, they successfully brought the fire under control and extinguished it completely.

A post-fire structural inspection carried out by authorities confirmed that the entire upper floor and roof of the home were completely lost to the fire. The upper level, which held two bedrooms, a private study, and a full bathroom, suffered such severe structural damage that it eventually collapsed onto the ground floor below. The remaining sections of the home also sustained widespread water damage from the thousands of gallons of water used to put out the blaze.

Investigation into the incident have confirmed that the couple left their home at roughly 1:15 p.m. to drive their 28-year-old son to Piarco International Airport for a work-related international trip. The couple’s adult daughter was also not at the property at the time, as she was away at her workplace. A nearby neighbour spotted the fire breaking out, contacted emergency services, and then alerted the Samlal family, who rushed back to their home from the airport area to find firefighters already working to contain the blaze. Miraculously, neither of the retired couple suffered any injuries during the incident, no other residents or first responders were hurt either.

A violent home invasion robbery targeted a 68-year-old local pensioner in Las Lomas on Tuesday morning, leaving the elderly resident shaken after three armed intruders stole thousands of dollars in valuables from her property. The incident unfolded shortly after the victim returned to her private residence on Rodney Road, located in the Las Lomas No. 2 district, at approximately 11:30 a.m., according to local law enforcement.

When the woman walked through her front door, she was immediately confronted by the three men, who had already gained unauthorized entry to the home and were waiting inside. One of the suspects brandished a handgun, pressing the weapon directly toward the victim’s face before threatening her to stay silent and move to a living room couch to comply with their demands.

Over the course of the robbery, the three assailants looted the home and stripped the victim of her personal property, including multiple pieces of jewelry: a gold chain, her wedding bands, an additional gold ring, and two silver bracelets. Beyond the jewelry, the intruders took $1,200 in cash from the victim’s purse and also absconded with two of her Samsung mobile phones. Once they had collected all the stolen items, the suspects made their escape by climbing over the home’s front perimeter fence, disappearing before police arrived on scene.

Following the attack, authorities have released a detailed description of the armed suspect to aid in public tips and the ongoing manhunt. The gunman is described as a person of African descent, standing roughly 5 feet 8 inches tall with a dark brown complexion and short hair. He was wearing a black jersey at the time of the invasion, and used a piece of cloth to cover his nose and mouth to obscure his identifying features. Investigations remain ongoing as police work to identify and apprehend all three involved suspects.

After weeks of temporary closure for critical infrastructure repairs, Trinidad and Tobago’s Macqueripe Bay in Chaguaramas has officially welcomed back visitors, with local families flocking to the popular coastal spot to enjoy the newly renovated amenities on Tuesday.

The Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) first shuttered the beach facility back on May 11, launching a project to replace the site’s decaying original wooden handrails with a new sturdier metal structure. At the time of the closure announcement, the CDA emphasized that the temporary shutdown was a non-negotiable safety measure to protect all patrons and out-of-town visitors.

When a local reporter from the Express visited the newly reopened site on Tuesday, many beachgoers expressed clear approval for the completed railing upgrade, noting the tangible improvement to the site’s safety and appearance. Still, many visitors also pointed out that multiple aging and hazardous areas across the facility continue to go unaddressed—most notably a large unmarked, unbarriered hole located directly along the beachfront that poses a major risk to visitors.

Nasser Khan, an award-winning journalist and frequent Macqueripe Bay visitor who toured the site with his family this week, shared that he was pleased the long-awaited railing repairs were finally complete. For years, Khan has repeatedly submitted formal requests to the CDA calling for facility upgrades, as decaying infrastructure at the beloved coastal spot has been a top complaint among regular visitors for decades. That said, Khan raised pressing questions about whether the new metal railing is built to withstand the harsh tropical marine environment, where constant exposure to salt spray and high humidity causes rapid corrosion of unprotected materials.

“The upgrade has been a long time coming, but better late than never,” Khan explained. “From a quick look it looks fantastic. My only real hope is that the CDA chose materials that can hold up to these conditions—salt and moisture cause severe rusting here, that’s why the old wooden railing rotted away completely. The new metal option looks good, it works well, and I really hope it lasts and receives regular upkeep moving forward.”

Khan described Macqueripe Bay as one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most underappreciated natural treasures, adding that chronic under-maintenance has been a persistent problem plaguing the popular recreational site for years. “Macqueripe is genuinely a paradise right here. For years, it got almost no regular maintenance. I’m hoping this railing upgrade is just the first step toward more consistent care for this facility.”

For some visitors, the timing of the reopening could not have been better. One family from San Juan chose the newly reopened beach as the spot to celebrate a family birthday. “When we found out it was reopening the same week as our celebration, we were thrilled,” said Thomas Sylvester, the group’s organizer. “We love coming down here whenever we can, it’s such a beautiful beach. We just hope they keep up the good work going forward.”

Another frequent visitor, Clyde Barnes, echoed Khan’s calls for additional upgrades and repairs across the facility. “The CDA should add shaded huts and picnic tables under the existing tree canopy for visitors to use,” Barnes noted. “I understand they may have bigger plans for future upgrades, but that gaping hole on the beachfront needs to be fixed right away—it’s a serious safety hazard.”

As of Thursday, multiple requests for comment from the CDA regarding visitors’ additional concerns and future plans for the facility have not received a response.

What began as a simple overgrowth clearing initiative on a quiet Saturday in January has transformed into a beloved new tourist attraction in the coastal community of Mon Repos, Trinidad, drawing hundreds of local and international visitors after the installation of a custom ‘I Love Mon Repos’ landmark sign. Spearheaded by local councillor Nigel Couttier, the project kicked off with a small core team of 10 dedicated volunteers, who gathered every weekend from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. to restore an unmaintained empty plot of land located just steps from the Mon Repos Police Station along the busy Naparima/Mayaro Road. As word of the grassroots initiative spread, more community members stepped up to join the effort: residents living in the apartment buildings directly opposite the site signed on to help, and a professional landscaper from nearby Pleasantville offered his skills entirely for free, drawn by the project’s mission of collective community improvement. After weeks of clearing debris, pulling weeds, and leveling the ground, Couttier felt the newly refreshed space was missing a defining centerpiece. Inspired by his personal affection for the Mon Repos area, he landed on the idea of a signature ‘I Love’ community sign. The custom sign, marked by a unique solid red heart to set it apart from identical signs in other regions of Trinidad and Tobago, was crafted pro bono by a local artisan, costing the project virtually nothing. The outpouring of community support extended far beyond labor: local residents and project supporters donated a wide range of materials, including backfill for landscaping, ornamental plants, paint, and even two decorative water features. Just one month ago, a team of volunteers pulled an all-nighter to lay lush lawn grass across the entire plot, turning the once overgrown lot into a welcoming green public space. Today, the project has already delivered far more than a new public spot — it has restored a shared sense of community pride among Mon Repos residents, Couttier says. For the local councilor, the initiative is also proof of what can be achieved when a group of people comes together with a shared goal to lift up their neighborhood. This sign marks the first ‘I Love’ community landmark in Trinidad’s southern region, a distinction that has helped turn it into an unexpected hit with travelers. Since the project was completed, the site has seen daily visits from sightseers across the country and international tourists. Just last weekend, a full busload of foreign travelers stopped to visit the spot, and visitors regularly flock to the area to snap photos in front of the iconic sign. ‘It’s really amazing,’ Couttier said. ‘That’s exactly what we set out to achieve — to create something that brings people together and makes our community shine.’ While limited funding remains a small hurdle for the next phase of development, the team plans to continue upgrading the space, adding restored public benches and a new concrete gathering area in the coming weeks. When asked about the risk of vandalism to the community space, Couttier said he remains unconcerned. ‘When you do something from the goodness of your heart, you leave everything up to God,’ he explained. Local residents have already embraced the new landmark, with one long-time resident praising the project for encouraging greater social connection among local young people. ‘It is a fresh project… it looking good and feeling good and we enjoying it,’ the resident said. Couttier aims to wrap up all remaining upgrades by the end of the current month, when the community will host an official opening ceremony to celebrate the new public space.

It has been exactly two months since 7-year-old Angelica Saydee Jogie’s young life was ended by a devastating jet ski collision at Tobago’s popular Pigeon Point Beach, and her heartbroken family is still clinging to one demand: answers, and long-overdue justice.

Every evening, the Jogie family gathers outside their Barrackpore home at a small, loving memorial set up in Angelica’s honor. Two candles are lit without fail each night, as relatives join in prayer for justice and hold space for the irreplaceable gap left by the little girl’s passing. For her father, Arnold Jogie, the agony of losing his child remains just as raw as it was on the day of the April 8 tragedy, he told local outlet the Express in an interview published this week.

The fatal incident unfolded when Jogie, his daughter, and his uncle were in the shallow waters off Pigeon Point when an out-of-control jet ski crashed into all three. Angelica suffered fatal multiple traumatic injuries and died moments after the impact. Arnold Jogie was hospitalized for several days with his own injuries, while Angelica’s uncle received medical care and was discharged shortly after the collision. The little girl’s death sent shockwaves across Trinidad and Tobago, igniting broad public outcry and reawakening longstanding demands for tighter safety regulations and consistent monitoring of recreational jet ski operations across the country’s public beaches.

Within 24 hours of the tragedy, police took a 32-year-old Canaan man into custody in connection with the fatal collision. But law enforcement officials confirmed the suspect was later released as investigators continue to process the case, leaving the family in limbo. Jogie told reporters he submitted his formal witness statement to investigating officers three weeks ago, and he expected the case file would have been sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions weeks ago to review possible charges.

“I last spoke with the police about three weeks ago. At that time, they told me they were still looking at the charges. Up to now, nothing,” Jogie said. As Monday’s two-month anniversary of the accident arrived, the endless delay in police action has only amplified the family’s pain and uncertainty. “We just want justice for our daughter. We are not hearing from the police. It makes us wonder if they are not bothering with us anymore,” he added.

The family’s grief has been deepened by another recent, devastating child death on the island of Tobago. Last month, 2-year-old Angelo Tobias-Plaza went missing from his Goodwood home, sparking a massive multi-day search that has not recovered the toddler’s body. Angelo’s stepfather, Shannon Miller, has since been arraigned in Scarborough court on a charge of murder. Though the two cases are unrelated, Jogie said learning of another young life lost in Tobago left his family heartbroken. “Cruel people are taking God’s angels,” he said. “But we are praying that we get justice, too.”

Until investigators close the case and charges are filed, the Jogie family will maintain their nightly vigil. Photos of Angelica, flickering candles, and handwritten tributes stand as a constant reminder of the joyful little girl taken too soon. Though weeks of waiting have stretched on, the family says they still hold onto hope that investigators will wrap up their work soon, and that the person responsible for their daughter’s death will be held fully accountable. Every night, the candles keep burning: a quiet, powerful symbol of a family’s undying love, unshakable faith, and unwavering determination to get justice for the little girl who should still be with them today.

A social media video showing two vehicles being towed from Port of Spain General Hospital has sparked public discussion, prompting official clarification from the North-West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) on its longstanding parking enforcement practices.

In the circulating clip, a female voiceoff accuses the health authority of unfairly targeting hospital staff amid a widespread parking shortage, claiming employees are left with no legal parking spaces yet have their vehicles impounded for parking violations. The viral footage quickly drew sympathy from online commenters, many of whom echoed frustrations over limited parking access for hospital workers.

Responding to the public outcry in an official statement released Wednesday, the NWRHA confirmed the towing operation took place on the hospital’s compound, but pushed back on the narrative that the action was unprovoked. According to the authority, both towed vehicles were parked in clearly marked restricted zones, in direct violation of the organization’s formal Parking Policy implemented back in May 2022.

The first vehicle, which appears in the viral video, was parked illegally on the northern edge of the hospital campus, next to the Maternity Staff Car Park. At the time it was towed, the improperly parked car was blocking multiple other vehicles from exiting the lot, creating unnecessary traffic congestion and access issues. The second vehicle posed an even greater risk to hospital operations: it was parked directly in the Ambulance Bay at the hospital’s main entrance, a critical emergency access route that is required to stay clear 24/7 to support rapid patient care and emergency response.

The towing operation was carried out with formal assistance from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), as part of the NWRHA’s routine enforcement of parking rules. The authority declined to confirm whether either of the towed vehicles was registered to hospital staff, noting that parking regulations apply equally to all individuals on the campus, regardless of affiliation.

NWRHA officials emphasized that consistent traffic and parking management is non-negotiable for keeping hospital operations running smoothly. Unauthorized parking in restricted zones does not just cause minor inconvenience, they argued: it can block patient access, slow down emergency medical responses, and disrupt the entire delivery of critical healthcare services.

To help the public and staff avoid accidental violations, the NWRHA noted it has already installed clear signage throughout the hospital compound marking all restricted areas and no-parking zones. The TTPS has also supported the authority by assisting with the placement of additional signage where gaps were identified, and has partnered on routine enforcement efforts.

While the authority acknowledged that the Port of Spain General Hospital continues to face high demand for parking, it stressed that compliance with parking rules is a core requirement to protect the facility’s overall safety, accessibility and functional efficiency. The NWRHA confirmed that routine enforcement of the Parking Policy will continue moving forward, and urged all staff, patients and visitors to only use marked, designated parking areas to ensure the hospital can deliver uninterrupted, safe care to the community.