BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – CO-FOUNDER of Operation Rescue, Dwyer Astaphan projected the view that the twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is overloaded with prostitutes and pimps.
Speaking recently on his organisation’s weekly programme, ‘The Operating Room’, aired on Winn FM, Astaphan referenced an experience he had on the night of Saturday (Aug. 12) while driving past a certain junction in Basseterre where two bars are located opposite each other.
He said while driving in that vicinity, he had seen a number of police officers conducting a raid at the bars.
“Almost anytime you pass those bars you will see a number of women hanging around. I presume that all of them can’t be waitresses or bartenders, or cooks, or cleaners. I don’t believe that all of them could be customers going there to spend their money. And I am presuming that all of them can’t be social workers or even missionaries for Jesus going to try to save souls there, or they have to go all over where the souls have to save them.
“I am presuming that at least some of them were offering certain tender services for sale. They are the females who you see regularly at MoneyGram and Western Union shipping out the money that they made the night before.”
Astaphan said to him it is not a pretty picture, not a happy thing, and that he was not ridiculing anyone. “But as far as I am aware, prostitution is still illegal in this country.”
“Maybe while I was driving by, maybe they were not prostitutes, because at the end of it all I didn’t hear anybody being arrested or any illegality or anything of that sort. I didn’t know if anybody was warned beforehand that the police were coming. I am not accusing anybody of anything...just asking, just wondering aloud,” he added.
As a result of observing the police’s presence in that particular area, Astaphan reminded listeners of a raid conducted by members of the security forces in Newtown on Saturday, October 22, 2016.
“About six months ago, maybe more or less, there was a similar raid in East Basseterre where more than 100 people were detained, and of that amount about two were charged with something.
“I will say this, maybe at the expense of annoying some of you out there, but I will say it. There seems to be a little will, whether at the security forces’ level or above to clean up this kind of thing is St. Kitts.”
The former Minister of National Security said that prostitution also exists on Nevis and warned of the dangers that it breeds, which is believed to be the world’s oldest profession.
“I understand that it is going on in Nevis too. But let me tell you all this. Those of you who think prostitution is okay or is none of your business, where you find prostitution you will always find hard drugs. And where you find hard drugs you will always find guns. And where you find prostitution, hard drugs and guns, you will always find protection money and extortion and a whole underworld criminal network.
“So, if you are okay with prostitution, that’s okay for you. But I am not okay with it, because, it in itself, I don’t think is what is in the best interest of this country at the level that I appear to be seeing or a lot of us appear to be seeing. It is just that I am not going to be silent on it. I am extremely worried about the other things that come with it.”
He pointed out that the area within which prostitution exists on St. Kitts is not far from the Basseterre Police Station.
“Just a few hundred yards from the police station this is going on! You have to ask the question: ‘Is whether people are giving their tacit approval of this, or is something even more sinister than one would wish to believe?’ That is this undercurrent of prostitution, drugs, criminality and so, and that all of these efforts and the talk about cleaning up the place are only a charade, a façade, a roost...I hope I am wrong.”
In addition to denouncing the practice of prostitution in the Federation, the social commentator reminded listeners of the sacrifices made by the nation’s forefathers.
“This country is overloaded with prostitutes and pimps of one variety or another. And if you consider this to be progress for a nation built on the blood, sweat and tears, built on the sacrifice and the strength of character and will of a people who had been enslaved but determined to break free, if you call that progress then I am sorry for you and I am sorry for me too; because we will all suffer the consequences of that degradation.”
