Saint Lucia: Protection available to victims of and witnesses to crime (2004 - August 2006)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 6 October 2006 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LCA101667.FE |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Saint Lucia: Protection available to victims of and witnesses to crime (2004 - August 2006), 6 October 2006, LCA101667.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/46fb7301c.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information on the protection available to victims of and witnesses to crime was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
A deputy commissioner of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force provided the following information during a 20 September 2006 telephone interview. There is no legislation or program for protecting crime victims and witnesses in Saint Lucia. Also, witness protection is provided only rarely, on a case-by-case basis, and only when requested by the witness. As an example, the Deputy Commissioner mentioned a case of a young woman who asked to be relocated. Witness protection is an issue currently under debate, but a new law on evidence does not provide protection measures for witnesses to crime.
In correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, a gender relations officer from the Ministry of Health, Human Services, Family Affairs and Gender Relations of Saint Lucia stated that "there are no witness protection programmes in Saint Lucia" (15 Aug. 2006).
Moreover, the St. Lucia Star cites the St. Lucian president as saying that in 2005, his government introduced a new criminal code and a bill on intercepting communication, implemented a Crown prosecutor service, and improved police training (23 Jan. 2006). No information on protection measures for crime victims and witnesses under the Criminal Code could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
The Daher Broadcasting Service (DBS), a radio station in Castries, launched an anti-violence campaign with the help of public statements from crime victims (St. Lucia Star 23 Jan. 2006).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Saint Lucia. 20 September 2006. Telephone interview with a deputy commissioner of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force.
_____. 15 August 2006. Ministry of Health, Human Services, Family Affairs and Gender Relations. Correspondence from a gender relations officer.
St. Lucia Star. 23 January 2006. Christine Charlemagne. "DBS Does Its Part to Stop the Violence!"
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: The High Commission of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States in Ottawa, the Crown prosecutor, and the Saint Lucia Bar did not respond to requests for information within the time constraints for this Response.
Internet sites, including: Caribbean Knowledge Management Centre, Factiva, Government of Saint Lucia, Royal St. Lucia Police Force.
