Barbados is 'unsafe' for women says MP

An MP is claiming that Barbados is unsafe for British tourists because local police have failed to properly investigate the rapes of two British women.

Diane Davies, of Anglesey, and Dr Rachel Turner from Hertfodshire, were raped within days of each other in 2010.

A man was arrested and charged shortly after the incident, but both women testified that the man was not the attacker, waiving their right of anonymity to clear his name.

Since then, the authorities have stopped investigating the crimes.

Stephen McPartland, MP for Stevenage, is calling for the cases to be reopened. He told the BBC: "I firmly believe that Barbados is not a safe place for British women to travel as there is a rapist on the loose. The police have failed to reopen the case.

"The Foreign Office should update their travel advice and make it clear that Barbados is not a safe place to travel and warn British tourists to stay away. Maybe then the authorities in Barbados will make the police reopen the case and find this rapist."

He has also called on the island's authorities to make a public apology to the women.

The concerns about the safety of the island come just a week after a British couple were shot during an armed robbery in the capital, Bridgetown.

The Barbados Tourism Authority said in a statement: "We take any incident very seriously. Barbados is a friendly and welcoming country with more than 250,000 British tourists each year. But like every country in the world, some crimes will occur. Our absolute priority will continue to be the safety of our community and our visitors."

The Foreign Office website says: "The majority of visits by British nationals are trouble-free. However, incidents of violent crime including murder do occur. There have been serious attacks on foreign visitors, including armed robbery and sexual assaults."


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