Woman escapes attackers at beach

A woman is now counting her blessings after she narrowly escaped being raped at the Orchard Beach in Hopewell, Hanover.

The woman stated that last Saturday about 4 p.m., she had just finished jogging and was about to take a swim, when she heard strange sounds coming from bushes. Upon investigating, she was held up by two men armed with knives. One of the men told her to strip and tried to remove her bra.

"A God save mi from get rape. Is when di boy dem see a fishing boat a sail into the shore that dem let mi go and run back in the bush," she said. "This is di third time something like this happen to mi pon di beach. But it won't ketch mi again because mi naw go back dung deh until dem cut dung the bush from the beach."

When THE STAR visited the Orchard Beach on Sunday, the entire stretch was crowded with large trees and overgrown shrubs. The vegetation is so thick in some parts that the beach is not visible from the roadway, despite it being just a few metres away.

Serious state

Derick Wright, president of the Hopewell Citizens Association, told THE STAR recently that he has made several attempts to have the beach cleared.

"I have made contact with personnel from the Hanover Parish Council, and also spoke to Councillor Devon Brown over the serious state of the Orchard Beach, but to date I have not gotten a valid response," Wright stated. One senior cop told THE STAR that lawmen have heard stories about attempted rape incidents on the beach, but the victims never make official reports. "What we as the police can do is just to warn members of the public, especially females, not to use that particular beach until it has been properly cleaned, and if they are visiting the beach, always do so in groups," the cop said.

- H.B.