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February 2006 | September 2006 | April 2004

Attacks on Tourists are NOT a Recent Phenomenon. These incidents were reported in 2004.

April 2004: Quoted from Caribbean-on-line.com Read more >

"Of late, however, in St Lucia reports of attacks against tourists are becoming almost common place.
Six weeks ago a British couple moored in Marigot Bay were attacked by two men armed with knives. The pair was beaten, tied and robbed of $1000.
And who can forget the dozen or so visitors who had taken a jeep safari tour that turned into a nightmare. In that incident the St Lucian driver was badly beaten. The visitors were held at knifepoint and robbed.

On March 3, a group of British visitors were asleep in their rented Mango Tree Villa at East Winds, when they too suffered at the hands of robbers, armed with loaded pistols. The live-in security guard was shot in the back.

Ironically, that incident occurred shortly after St Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) president Anthony Bowen had appeared on Newsmaker Live calling for accountability from authorities and for greater interest to be paid to the tourism industry by the government.
In no mood to mince words Bowen had said that while St Lucia was generally regarded as a safe location any criminal activity against visitors, no matter how infrequent, would erode and do untold damage to that reputation.

But last weekend the crime wave continued.
“Seven tourists were attacked,” said a police officer.
“Five people at knifepoint at Choc Beach and two in Castries. One of them was a lady in a wheelchair who was in Castries when a guy pulled her neck chain.“The guy pulled so hard, the lady received injuries to her neck. A police car was deployed straight away. Unfortunately we couldn’t get her into the car so an ambulance was called. People chased the guy and wrestled him to the ground. He’s in custody. Every day someone from the cruise ships get mugged. It’s out of hand."

Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort was also the target of a robber on Sunday.“At 8.45pm a person armed with a knife walked into reception and held up the receptionist. He got away with $1590 cash,” said a police spokesman. "