The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A local psychiatrist yesterday attributed the recent homicides and suicides in the country to “seething, repressed, hurt and anger” experienced by Bahamians.

Dr David Allen yesterday said a national suicide study recently conducted by his organisation, The Family: People Helping People, indicated that Bahamians are “very angry and vulnerable to acts of violence, especially in relationships.”

As a result, he said that anger leads to shame followed by a “murderous rage,” which then leads Bahamians through an “evil, destructive tunnel,” the end of which results in homicides and suicides.

“The tunnel through masochism expresses hurt and anger at oneself and produces suicide,” he said. “The tunnel through sadism directs evil, violence and destruction towards others and produces homicide. We are seeing evidence of both happening at this time in our society.

“This illustrates what is happening in our midst and the spate of incidents in the past few weeks.”

Dr Allen’s statements came three days after the bodies of 36-year-old Shemicka McKinney and her two young daughters were pulled from the sea shortly after eyewitnesses said they saw a car speeding off the Montagu ramp and into the water.

Police said they feared the incident was a murder-suicide but said it was too early to speculate without the official results of an autopsy. McKinney’s family has said she was moody, argumentative and depressed before her death.

On Tuesday, Australian podiatrist Phillip Vasyli was found dead with stab wounds in his chest in his home at the exclusive gated community of Old Fort Bay. His wife and two of his service workers are helping police with their investigation.

His death was the 34th homicide for the year.

Dr Allen said the incidents highlight what was found in his study.

“This data now represents what we’re seeing,” he said. “The point is right now, anger is very rife, anger connects to violence. Violence relates to sadness and relates to relationship problems.

“If you are in a relationship with your children, or husband, or wife, and you get angry, walk away once, twice, three times, but walk away. No Bahamian is strong enough to stand there and face their anger. Better to walk away than to wish you had.”