The Government of Saint Lucia is considering a request for an independent Commission of Inquiry into the systems designed to protect victims of domestic violence, following the death of 24-year-old Joy St. Omer.
St. Omer’s family has called for a comprehensive investigation into the country’s protective frameworks and the response of state agencies, seeking to determine whether gaps exist in the mechanisms intended to safeguard vulnerable women.
Speaking during Monday’s Pre-Cabinet Press Briefing, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre said the government is deeply concerned about the circumstances surrounding the loss of life and would pursue any changes deemed necessary should an inquiry be approved.
Pierre, however, pushed back against any suggestion that the government had “sat idly by” and allowed St. Omer to lose her life.
The family’s request was formally submitted to Cabinet on August 17, following a press conference held on August 11. Pierre stressed that establishing a Commission of Inquiry is a significant decision that requires proper consideration by Cabinet.
He explained that the request reached him at 10:20 a.m. on the morning Cabinet was scheduled to meet at 11 a.m., leaving little time for the matter to be fully considered.
“A Commission of Inquiry is not something where I can just say yes or no,” Pierre said, adding that while the government takes the family’s request seriously, Cabinet must be given adequate time to deliberate.
Pierre said he would need a minimum of two weeks before announcing Cabinet’s ratified decision on whether the independent Commission of Inquiry will be established.
