ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, CMC – In a solemn national address on Saturday name, Prime Minister Gaston Browne expressed profound sorrow over the shocking murder of a nine-year-old girl and vowed to dedicate every resource at his disposal to eradicate such “evil” acts, honoring her memory.
Chantel Crump, a student of Five Islands Primary School, was abducted last Wednesday while on her way home from school. Her body was discovered in the early hours of Saturday, and a 20-year-old woman, Angela Mejia, was charged with the murder.
In a statement addressing recent events, which he said had caused him “great distress,” Prime Minister Browne noted that while all the incidents were disturbing, Crump’s murder was “harrowing.”
“I cannot honestly say that I do not feel anger and outrage at the murder of this innocent child,” he said, disclosing that he received word that Crump’s body had been found while at the hospital with his ill four-year-old daughter.
“Let me assure everyone in our country that my administration will not rest until justice is delivered in full measure to the perpetrators. This is not only on behalf of Chantel and her family but also to safeguard every other child and every other person from anyone in our society who would commit such heinous acts.
“We resolve that Antigua and Barbuda must be safe for all our people. It must be particularly safe for all our children. My government will vigorously investigate all who may be involved in crimes of this nature and determine their motivations. Not only will we bolster the investigative power of the police, but we will also enhance their capacity by providing cadaver dogs trained to find bodies and detect DNA traces of those involved in killings. We will stamp out this evil that has befallen our country before it spreads further,” Browne added.
However, the prime minister stressed that law enforcement cannot do this alone and called for all citizens’ individual and collective resolve to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated.
“We must report all suspicious activities. Send a clear message to anyone who commits or plots such crimes that we will not allow them to contaminate our country, harm our children, or intimidate our society. I solemnly pledge to allocate all the resources necessary to end such evil in Chantel’s name and for the safety and well-being of all our children.”
Browne also expressed sadness at the apparent suicide of a female police officer last Friday, using the tragedy to underscore the importance of improved mental health care in Antigua and Barbuda.
Drawing from personal experience as the son of a mother who battled mental health challenges for much of her life, he reaffirmed his government’s commitment to strengthening mental health responses.
Browne said he had personally raised the issue of mental health with international leaders, including the United Nations Secretary-General, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation, and the Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). He noted that at the upcoming General Assembly of the Organization of American States in June, a resolution on joint action to address mental health across the Americas will be on the agenda.
Additionally, Antigua and Barbuda will host a special meeting of PAHO, where health ministers from across the hemisphere will convene to discuss mental health care.
and then 