An artist’s impression of the planned US Embassy.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune News Editor
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
POLICE did not publicly disclose two alleged rapes involving American tourists and jet ski operators in the past month — cases highlighted in a heightened advisory issued yesterday by the US Embassy in Nassau, which warns travellers of sexual assault risks tied to jet ski rentals in The Bahamas.
Last week, The Tribune reported that a Carnival Cruise Line passenger alleged a jet ski operator raped her near Junkanoo Beach. A man has since been charged with raping the 23-year-old woman.
On Tuesday, Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles defended the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s handling of the matter, saying officers do not “hold information back from the public”.
However, the US Embassy said yesterday that two rape incidents — not one — involving American citizens and jet ski operators occurred recently.
According to the advisory, both women were picked up by male jet ski operators from beaches on Nassau and Paradise Island, then taken to isolated islands near New Providence, where the assaults occurred.
Authorities have not released any details about the second alleged rape, and the time or location of that incident remains unclear.
“We make sure that everything that comes to our attention that is needed to be known to the public is known to the public,” Commissioner Knowles told reporters on Tuesday.
“I cannot say why it was not in the crime report, but what I can say to you is that the matter was not initially reported right after the incident occurred. We know that the victim had left the country, well had left this island and was at another cruise port in The Bahamas, and we were able to catch up with that person and take the report.”
The US alert also noted that since August 2024, four US citizens have been hospitalised following jet ski accidents, with two requiring emergency medical evacuation to the United States. Due to ongoing safety concerns, US government personnel are prohibited from renting jet skis on New Providence and Paradise Island.
Comments
mandela 6 days, 18 hours ago
Lying police, it doesn't matter who becomes COP. they will lie and cover up their slackness and run from transparency.
ExposedU2C 6 days, 17 hours ago
Small wonder Trump requested the Bahamas be added to list of countries for which he receives daily national intelligence (security) briefings. Not good!
I suspect an export tariff on all goods shipped to the Bahamas from any US port may be under consideration as a means of putting pressure on Bahamians to put their own serious pressure on the corrupt Davis led PLP administration to do much, much, more to fight out-of-control criminal violence in our country that is now harmfully impacting US visitors.
And of course Trump is not the least bit happy with our nation's other problems impacting the national security interests of the US, e.g., lack of meaningful efforts to help reduce influx into the US via the Bahamas of illegal aliens, drugs, arms, human trafficking, etc. All not good!!!
quavaduff 6 days, 7 hours ago
tRump receives no security briefing .... never has had any interest in briefings .. read up on it.
quavaduff 6 days, 6 hours ago
"tRump the least bit happy?" un bow your head mon.... you love a man that has nothing but contempt for you especially if you are Black
empathy 6 days, 16 hours ago
Jet ski operators have had this problem for quite some time (decades). Clearly efforts to clean it up have not been successful or have lapsed(?).
In any event it begs for further and ongoing scrutiny if they are going to be allowed continued operation.
ExposedU2C 6 days, 14 hours ago
The efforts you speak of were never made at any time in any meaningful way whatsoever.
birdiestrachan 6 days, 15 hours ago
TRUMP INDEED THE one who worships at TRUMP feet. And disrespect the Bahamas and our government. Will find out soon that when TRUMP goes the way of all flesh he will not rise on the third day.
ExposedU2C 6 days, 14 hours ago
Yup, most of us know you're okay with visitors to our nation being violently raped and that it's all Trump's fault.
quavaduff 6 days, 7 hours ago
that's not it but your "love" for the vile human being tRump is very suspicious ... tRump has no love or respect for anyone but tRump.
ExposedU2C 5 days, 10 hours ago
LOL. Did you forget again to take your TDS pill?
bahamianson 6 days, 15 hours ago
Damn , shut the jet ski operators down. This is embarrassing for me , to hell with the country because it seems as if the country does not care.
bogart 6 days, 13 hours ago
@bahamianson It is not the country, our beloved Bahamaland. Its the individuals and the crime that comes from the identifiable uncontrollable stream.
We understand your frustration. Continue to convert your frustrations into your very good comments for better not bitter.
Not the country, but countable individuals whose actions and/or inactions led to the first harm to our guests who are harmed.
No one ever wants their daughter, her sister, her mother, cousin, grand daughter , niece or female to be raped. Same feelings Bahamians have is the same feelings families and friends of the victim have of the atrocious harmful crime effects on victim that cannot ever be erased. Not even if the culprit is put into prison for a limited time and rehabilitation can the effects of the crime be erased.
Immediate actions must be taken to stop the crime that comes from this identifiable stream which cannot be controlled. Fully agree with you to shut down the jet ski operators.
joeblow 6 days, 14 hours ago
... I remember when Bahamians were largely a fairly decent people. We abandoned morality and everyone does what is right in their own eyes; it has only reduced us to a people who are more animal than human. In fact, some animals have more of a conscience than many walking around in society today! We are reaping what we have sown, but maybe more new police cars will solve the problem!
quavaduff 6 days, 7 hours ago
the same happened to the US .... lack of human morality resulted in tRump stealing an election.
rosiepi 6 days, 13 hours ago
The police have no excuses at hand (try as they might!) as even after they'd taken the victims' statements, they refused to warn the girls and women in The Bahamas and/or our visitors. Another flagrant likely criminal violation of their duty to serve and protect that only heightens the fears of tourists and our community. We're staring down an economic catastrophe while Davis&Co's RBPF is holing our boat!
Shanta Knowles might be a 'new broom' but she's still doing the same old job, sweeping crime and corruption under the carpet.
temptedbythefruitofanother 6 days, 11 hours ago
The out of control jetski thug gangs have been beating, raping and torturing raping defenseless tourists on the beaches of the Bahamas for DECADES and NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT.
No reason to think things are going to change now despite in your face sex crimes happening on a DAILY BASIS!
Nothing is being done and nothing will change.
bahamianson 6 days, 8 hours ago
Why are all the people in the us embassy apparently white?
quavaduff 6 days, 7 hours ago
good question .... has ambassador walker arrived .... LOL
Bonefishpete 6 days, 7 hours ago
Why all the cruise ships are building private islands to bypass Nassau altogether. If most passengers don't get off the ships anyway why bother.
ExposedU2C 6 days, 7 hours ago
BIngo!
CaptainCoon 5 days, 18 hours ago
Rape Apes!
cx 5 days, 18 hours ago
Police really need to do better. Trump looking for any reason to mess with countries and stroke his stupid ego. He would love to make us another distraction. They should really be emphasising constantly this is unpresented we have millions of tourists visiting the Bahamas safely. They should have daily press conferences to provide information about these viral events like the guy who died at Atlantis.
There was a case 1 year ago about those 2 women who said they got raped in Freeport we need an update on the case. If they lied they need to be publicly banned from the country. If it did happen the guys need to go to jail.
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