Former Minister of Health attacked in pitch black Basseterre
Blames inaccurate load-shedding schedule
By Melissa Bryant
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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Constance Mitchum
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – LOCAL Barrister-at-Law and first woman elected to the Parliament of St. Kitts and Nevis, Constance Mitchum, was attacked last night (Oct. 2) in Central Basseterre.
The incident took place shortly after 9 p.m. in front of the offices of Mitchum and Benjamin Chambers located on New Street, Basseterre.
Mitchum told SKNVibes that the incident occurred shortly after she opted to return to her office last evening rather than being at home under darkness.
“I was in Sandy Point when the power went around 6:00 p.m. I had no intentions of staying at home when it was so dark and I went to my office in town.
“Upon my arrival shortly before 9:00 p.m., power also went in this part of town. It made no sense to me to stay there, so I decided to leave.”
The lawyer explained that after exiting the premises, she saw a young man hanging around her vehicle. She described him as being of short to medium height and dressed in short black pants, a blue-green T-shirt and a black cap.
“As I opened the door to my vehicle, [the young man] lunged at me and tried to take my bag away. I fell, but I was holding onto it
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Area in which Mitchum was attacked
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tightly, so he was not able to get it. I began to shout ‘police’ and that scared him into running away,” Mitchum said.
The former politician sustained minor bruises as a result of the attack and noted that the incident may not have occurred were it not for the load-shedding situation, which gives criminals the feeling that they are more unlikely to get caught in times of darkness.
According to Mitchum, the blame for the incident rests on the distribution of misinformation. “Sandy Point did not have electricity from early last night and, according to the schedule, it was not supposed to go until 10 p.m. I was lured from the safety of my home to town, where there was supposed to be power, yet none was there too.
“The information that is disseminated about the load-shedding schedule needs to be accurate, otherwise people will be fooled like I was and will go to areas they expect to be safe, only to find them dark and that they are more susceptible to criminal activity.”
~~Adz:Left~~
