The World Briefly
November 03, 2022Festering Sore
Turks and Caicos
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Authorities in Turks and Caicos are investigating a triple murder this week, the latest act in a tide of violence that has plagued the Caribbean archipelago amid an ongoing gang war and rising insecurity, the Miami Herald reported.
Police officials said they found three bodies, including that of a three-year-old boy, on the island of Providenciales on Tuesday, adding that are “working assiduously to catch the perpetrators of this heinous act.”
The murders come as Turks and Caicos has been grappling with a string of violent crimes that have rocked the British Overseas Territory. The unprecedented crime wave, which the government attributes to an ongoing gang war, is instilling fear in the populace while also jeopardizing the country’s lucrative tourism industry.
The situation has caused the government to request the assistance of police officers from the neighboring Bahamas – and even the United Kingdom.
Last week, the country’s parliament also passed a series of laws targeting gangs and firearms-related offenses, which would make it illegal for individuals to be gang members or provide assistance to criminal groups.
If convicted of gang membership, an individual risks up to 20 years in prison. Gang leaders who are convicted face up to 25 years in jail.
But the legislation has not curbed the crime wave.
Although the violence has mainly involved locals, a US citizen was killed last month.
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