It is difficult to find a time in our recent memory that an abduction and death of anyone have stirred the collective conscience of Antigua and Barbuda as the death of 9-year old Chantel Crump. Rarely have we seen an event that has galvanized the nation in this overwhelming sense of loss and outright disgust as the homicide of this minor.
The outrage cuts across all groups of society; religious, political and social. This is a rarity for a society that so sharply divided, especially along political lines. Yet, when the news reports that the 9-year old went missing on Wednesday, and the nature of her disappearance became obvious; there was no holding back in the emotions, the concern and the anger.
The concerns of the society reached the ears of the Acting Commissioner of Police and his senior staff and they too reacted in kind. By Thursday, there was a press conference to report to the nation the progress being made thus far to locate the child, and to seek the public’s help in finding her. Then there were the obvious questions; why Chantel; was she targeted, and for what purpose was she abducted?
When the news of the discovery of her body was made public, the anger being felt by the community was manifested with an impromptu gathering outside the police headquarters early Saturday morning. Others took part in a march. Hundreds participated in both events. They were united in one cause; this was a ‘bridge too far’ that had been crossed.
Chantel’s disappearance and her subsequent death came against the backdrop of a sudden increase in the number of people who had been reported missing just in the first two and a half months of the year. Enough was enough!
It could be argued that the outrage at Chantel’s abduction and the discovery of her body just over 48 hours later had much to do with who she was and from whence she came. She was a 9-year old belonging to a family from one of the poorest parts of the country. Perhaps, her family was not well-connected socially or even politically. Therefore, in the eyes of the perpetrators she may have been seen as ‘an easy target’. No one would miss her; no one would care. This may have been their calculation, but how wrong they were.
The national outrage sends a clear message to those with evil intent; Chantel, in their eyes may have been ‘a nobody’, but a society of Christian-minded, God-fearing people stood up and say ‘No’! No more preying upon the least among us; no more sleepless nights for the families of those who have gone missing and who have not returned (or found) even as weeks, even months have passed.
A Nation (Antigua and Barbuda) Mourns; a people distressed, pained, troubled and angry. A Nation prays; for the soul of Chantel Crump and for those who have gone missing and have not been heard from by their families and loved ones.
May the mighty hand of God reach out to touch each of us in this moment of trial and distress; may peace and comfort descend upon our Nation; this is our prayer!
