The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force has formally closed the high-profile investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against a senior officer. At a press briefing this week, Police Commissioner Verne Garde confirmed that, following months of inquiry and legal review, the case will not proceed to prosecution.
Commissioner Garde revealed that the initial file presented on the matter was “woefully inadequate in its contents.”
Out of what he described as “an abundance of caution,” he assigned a senior investigator to conduct a more thorough probe. “He investigated the matter further and submitted four files,” Garde explained.
Despite holding the statutory authority to lay charges, the Commissioner said he chose to escalate the matter for an independent legal opinion.
“Even though as Commissioner of Police, I am the one with the responsibility to effect charges, I said no. This matter needs to be brought to the attention of the Director of Public Prosecution, and so I did.”
According to Garde, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) reviewed the files and met with him before issuing a clear conclusion.
“We have sat in a meeting on the last matter… and this is the same case with the last matter. So all allegations made against the respective senior person has no possibility of prosecution. This is the end in regards to that matter.”
The Commissioner also cautioned both the media and the public about the importance of respecting confidentiality in sensitive investigations.
“If the Criminal Code posits that we should not release names of victims, names of perpetrators, and particular matters in particular cases, neither I nor the media should infringe that particular provision,” he warned.
Garde expressed disappointment that some reporting had previously ignored this principle, despite his earlier guidance.
