The safely of Barbadians and visitors to this island is the “absolute priority” of Government.
So said Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Richard Sealy in a response to Sunday’s shooting of two British tourists in the City.
The tourists, Philip and Ann Prior, received treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
In a statement today, Sealy said the Government was taking the matter very seriously, adding that the police had moved swiftly on this case.
This is what the minister had to say on this issue:
“We are deeply saddened by this incident and our thoughts are with Mr and Mrs Prior. Our absolute priority is the safety of our community and visitors to our island. Barbados is a friendly and welcoming country with more than 250 000 British tourists each year, many of whom are repeat visitors.
Like in every other country in the world, some crimes will occur. Please let me reassure you that we take every incident very seriously and the authorities are investigating this very thoroughly and looking to support the family at every step of the way. We can confirm that Mr and Mrs Prior have both left the hospital and we are doing our utmost to support them in whatever way we can.
Following the incident on Sunday a team of senior investigators from the Royal Barbados Police Force began immediate investigations and two people were taken into custody on Monday for enquiries. The two suspects have now been charged and will make a court appearance today, Wednesday, March 20, 2013.” (CM/PR)
