St Lucia cop remanded over sex assault on retarded man

(Jamaica Gleaner) St Lucia’s police commissioner Vernon Francois has urged his troops not to be swayed by public outrage directed at them following the arrest of one of their colleagues.

Police Constable James Frederick and a civilian Ali Thomas were denied bail when they appeared in court on kidnapping charges on Friday.

The two men are alleged to have committed a sexual offence against a 19-year-old man who is mentally retarded in the west coast village of Canaries last week.

They are scheduled to return to court on October 5 for a sufficiency hearing.

But with the widespread public outrage over the alleged incident, Commissioner Francois is urging all police personnel to remain steadfast in their duty to protect and serve the citizens of St Lucia.