After Tragedy, UWI Students Create App to Protect Children
In the wake of a heartbreaking tragedy that shook the Five Islands community, students and faculty at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus are responding with innovation and action.
Following the brutal killing of a 9-year-old girl, Chantel Crump near the Five Islands Primary School—just steps away from the UWI campus—the School of Science, Computing and Artificial Intelligence has mobilized to develop a safety alert app aimed at preventing similar tragedies in the future.
Dr. IIlenius Ildephonce, head of the school, confirmed that faculty and students are working urgently on a mobile application that would allow children to trigger an alert in emergencies, helping responsible adults respond swiftly.
The idea was first raised by Principal Professor Justin Robinson during the campus’s annual Council meeting, where he addressed the community’s collective grief.
“My heart is heavy, not as an academic, but as a parent and Caribbean soul deeply wounded by the loss of a child so full of promise,” Robinson said. “We cannot let this heartbreak paralyze us. We must channel our sorrow into protection.”
The yet-to-be-named app is one part of a broader call for stronger child protection measures, including heightened school security, increased community vigilance, and educational programs to help children recognize danger and seek help.
Dr. Ilenius Ildephonce said the app will be designed with simplicity in mind, enabling children to easily use it to notify a trusted contact or emergency service. The project will also explore geofencing, panic buttons, and direct integration with local law enforcement where feasible.
“This tragedy has galvanized our students,” he said. “We teach them about using technology to solve real-world problems—and now, they’re doing exactly that.”
The initiative underscores the Five Islands Campus’s commitment to being more than an academic institution. As Principal Robinson put it, “We are rooted in the region, and we stand with our community—not just in grief, but in determination to ensure that no other child suffers this fate.”
Support for the grieving family continues, with the campus offering counseling services, financial aid, and ongoing solidarity. The students’ tech-driven response, meanwhile, may serve as a lasting legacy in honour of the life lost.
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I honestly love the fact that a lot of good things are coming from the Murder of this angel.
Chantel legacy will long on through this app.
When will the app be ready?
Will everybody on Antigua have access to the app?
Ilenius Ildephonce. At least get people’s names right
I pray this app comes soon and that no more child will suffer the perils that this little angel Chantal had to suffer.
Will the app need Wi-Fi? If so, children will need to have free access to Wi-Fi so that they can use it. Or maybe you can work with mobile service providers to integrate the app function into their cellular service.
Did the Hispanic witch act ALO E during the torture and murder of 9-year-old Chantel Crump. Why have the Police suddenly been struck mute in their investigations? WHERE IS SINBAD THE SAILOR MAN? Is he being sheltered by political family members????
JUSTICE FOR CHANTEL NOW!!! NO SURRENDER, NO RETREAT. We need to smoke out the perpetrators of this child’s murder. Keep this demand in the forefront of everything, lest we forget!
JUSTICE FOR CHANTEL NOW!!! JUSTICE FOR CHANTEL!!!
This. Indeed useful. I also hope it can and will be replicated across the OECS and maybe even the entire Caribbean.
Thank you to the developers for your time and concern in helping to protect children and possibly even reducing violence.
RIP Chantel.
The Live360 app already does this for free. Install it on your child’s device (must have data) to know where they are at all times. And if you’re really paranoid, setup an airtag and glue it into the inside of the tongue of their shoe. That way if they lose the phone there’s still a tracker on their person.
Oh God thank you.. her death was not in vain.i pray that all of them that kill this LITTLE child will be found and brought to justice..this is so so so wicked.😭😭😭😢chantel.bc of you alot of children will be protected .please hurry up and finish this app..