Student reveals Cayman ordeal on web
(CNS): A young student who was stabbed in the stomach while he was visiting the Cayman Islands on a study abroad programme has revealed his ordeal to his college’s publication and website. In the wake of the stabbing last month, the police commissioner had criticised the local media’s reporting of the incident, saying it had been sensationalised as a robbery when there was no evidence to suggest it was. Speaking to The Pendulum (Elon University’s student newspaper), Brian Andrews said he believed the motive was robbery but because he was able to sprint away quickly the robber didn’t get anything. At a recent public presentation David Baines suggested that the incident was nothing more than a fight. (Photo Dennie Warren jr)
At the Chamber’s ‘Be informed’ series last month the commissioner accused the local press of reporting the incident incorrectly. “There was an incident last week where it was reported …’Tourist robbed and stabbed on Seven Mile Beach’ when we had not confirmed that account,” Baines said. “The other version that says intoxicated man attending nightclub at midnight, where there was a fall out with boys over girls … doesn’t make headlines … and doesn’t start with the word tourist.”
However, not one single local media outlet across the island had used the word “tourist” or “robbed” in relation to the report. The reports mostly referred to a visitor being assaulted and that police were investigating the incident as per the release circulated by the RCIPS press office.
Condemning the media over the non-existent reports, Baines wondered how many times we needed to “shoot ourselves in the foot” but then denied it was about covering anything up.
“It’s about giving facts, then people can make the right decision,” he told the Chamber. The commissioner said that when people put in the words ‘tourist’ and ‘Cayman’ into search engines it would come up with “tourist robbed” because the incident had not been reported factually by the local media, even though this was not the case.
The story has now been reported on the web by the victim, who spent two nights in hospital here and clearly believes he was the victim of an attempted robbery.
“I assume (robbery) was the motive," Andrews told his local paper. "Right when he lunged, a lot of adrenaline took over. I was able to spin away quickly and spring away. Luckily nothing was taken from me." He mentioned nothing about a dispute occurring at Calico Jacks, which is where the incident occurred, but said he had gone outside the bar to call his girlfriend when the men approached him.
Andrews was in the Cayman Islands on a programme where he and another 21 students were spending their winter term studying at the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI), a programme the local university is pushing as “educational tourism” and it was the first time that Elon had offered the overseas study.
In a release from UCCI, Dr Art Cassill, Chair of the Department of Accounting and Finance at Elon, said that the idea originated from one of the parents whose children are attending the university and who regularly visits the island on business.
“The Winter Term Study Abroad programme at Elon University is designed to provide our students with knowledge of the global environment from business to culture and society. While some of the Study Abroad courses reflect objectives on general studies, ours is designed specifically for accounting, finance, management and other majors related to business disciplines,” said Dr Cassill. “The more we looked at it, the more it made sense for our students to be exposed to a truly international financial services centre in this part of the world.”
UCCI President Roy Bodden also noted it provided the opportunity for local students to meet college students from outside the Cayman Islands.
“Elon’s visit to UCCI was an opportunity for them to learn from UCCI faculty and students about Caymanian history, society and economy. UCCI students, for their part were able to broaden their understanding of the United States. The visit was mutually beneficial and plans are in place for next year when it is hoped that UCCI students can visit North Carolina on an exchange programme,” he added.
See local media reports on the incident here and here and university report
Category: Headline News
Some time ago a Canadian man was stabbed in a carpark incident by a ‘top’ criminal. the police knew who the criminal was and put pressure on the victim in hospital and his wife at home not to press charges in order to protect the criminal.
Then there was the young candian man who was kidnapped by a known Cayman drug gang. The police knew who the gang were and did not take any action apart from shipping the victim off island when he was released.
Cayman will never change and the top cop has to go with the flow or he is out of a job.
Anyone else see this in the Wikileaks files:
http://bernews.com/2011/02/wikileaks-bermuda-sought-help-on-crime/
At a meeting last year attended by none other than our own premier, BERMUDA acknowledged that it had a problem with crime and discussed US and UK assistance in dealing with it.
It seems the Cayman Islands representative chose not to speak up.
Well it certainly seems like the COP is doing the Job he was hired to do. which is most likely to keep a lid on anything that would make the Gov or the RCIPS look bad. I don’t believe they really care about the crime rate as long as it doesn’t effect thier pockets or Job security. It’s obvious that they do not intend to do anything about the crime rate, so noone should be surprised. You just have to realize that in the current situation you have to be prepared to protect and take of your own. If the Government were really concerned about the growing crime rate Baines wouldn’t have a job. I’m sure they like him there becuase he is basically a flunkie, Someone that really cared would demand that they are givin the tools and control to protect the island residents and really control crimes. Unfortunately folks like this usually don’t have the backing of polititians who are more concerned with Votes that usually come from the Parents, friends and family of the ones commiting the crimes.
Welcome to the real world. Only Votes Count and Crime pays.
What do you expect from someone who took this on as a retirement job?
David Baines had 31 years as a British cop, which equals full pension with no reduction if you take a job outside the UK.
The RCIPS is like a rudderless ship and has been since one Stuart suspended another Stuart. How can you run a police department when senior officers aren’t even speaking to each other and there’s no mutual trust amongst the leadership?
It makes one wonder what other crimes the Commissioner doesn’t want the public to know about. Since the Governor thinks so highly of the Commissioner, maybe the Governor should also resign.
Here is another Chief who is obviously asleep at the wheel or outright ignorant and thinks we are too…Can we get a new chief who “gets” whats going on here and is man enough to deal with it no matter how ugly it is? Why is it that everyone that comes here to do these jobs ends up burying their heads in the sand instead of puting a halt to crime? No wonder crime is on the rise and with statements and attitudes such as this it should really escalate immediately! Then what will we do? Give him a raise to match the rise???? We are notfar from becoming a third world country here with this sort of crap.
Baines is a joke and needs to be removed quickly if we are to see a decrease in crime. He offers no solutions only excuses. It seams he is getting caught up in his own rhetoric. He doesn’t seem to know what his people are releasing to the press. He blames the people for not giving up the criminals just stopping short of saying if they want a conviction they must do it themselves. Offers no protection for anyone giving evidence. And we now have a law where as if you don’t give evidence and witness a crime you stand a chance of being charged. Now he is back to attacking the press. I think he is the best thing that ever happened to the criminal fraternity of Cayman.
A knife wound in the stomach is a little fight so I guess that only a fight resulting in a death could be considered a big fight.
Someone needs to sit Mr Baines down and explain to him patiently the true definitions of crime here.
Perhaps the Governor will read this and pick up on this suggestion.
Mr Baines sounds burned out in the job.
Isn’t it actually worse if the attacker’s motivation was to kill the guy, rather than to rob him?
If someone walked up and knifed me I’d at least take some comfort if they were only after my wallet rather than wanting to personally murder me.
Maybe the commissioner doesn’t see it that way.
I think you are missing the point. If the motive was personal spat between two guys then it doesn’t pose the same public threat as a random robbery of a visitor.
this commissioner must ahave a huge closet and a very bumpy carpet… all he ever tries to do is hide the facts away and sweep them under the carpet.
How dare the Commissioner of Police state that it was ‘just a little fight’ – he should be more appalled at this than the ‘everday man on the street’. His awful attitude can only permiate down through the ranks – no wonder nothing is getting done!!
Just read that the couple were attacked and robbed on an East End beach, guess he thinks this is ‘just a little tomfoolery’??
Forget the newly reported figures indivating an increase in tourism, they will be a thing of the past – just take a look at TripAdvisor – until we have soem form of a leader for our poor local police force in order to get results.
Shame on Commissioner Baines!!!
I don’t think it’s the media shooting themselves in the foot but our esteemed (sic) CoP.
Mr Baines, you know BSing the media doesn’t work in the UK so it’s extremely insulting to a very capable group of journalists when you assume that it will work in the Cayman Islands.
The lad ended up with a knife wound to stomach —– but it was JUST A LITTLE FIGHT !!! What kind of mentality does the Police chief have?? No wonder crime is getting so bad here and so many are getting away with it
Baines- Please leave immediately.
Yeah, and take Big Mac with you
True, and it doesn’t matter if he was outside a bar when he was
stabbed, doesn’t matter where he was..He was still STABBED….