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Dear Editor,
Our nation is grieving. The tragic death of American businesswoman Karen Johansson, following a vicious assault on Runaway Beach, has left Antigua and Barbuda shaken to its core.
As we mourn Karen’s passing and pray for her family, we must also confront an urgent and painful question:
How could something so brutal, so monstrous, occur in our beloved country?
Antigua and Barbuda prides itself on warmth, peace, and hospitality. We welcome thousands of visitors each year, assuring them that our shores are safe.
Yet this horrific attack, reportedly inflicted by someone Karen once trusted- has exposed vulnerabilities that cannot be ignored.
Karen was building a life and small business here. She was contributing to our tourism product, our economy, and our international reputation. She should not have paid for her ambitions with her life.
This violent crime is not just a “police matter.” It is a national crisis of confidence. Residents and visitors alike are now asking: Are women safe here?, Are business owners protected? Are we doing enough to prevent domestic violence and gender-based attacks?
The world is watching Antigua and Barbuda, but more importantly, we are watching ourselves. We cannot allow this sweet island to become a place where women are beaten into silence or death.
Authorities must act swiftly to deliver justice for Karen. If the alleged perpetrator is indeed the man she had recently separated from, then this was not a random act of violence, it was intimate-partner terrorism. And if we do not confront it forcefully, others may suffer the same brutal fate.
We owe it to Karen, to every resident, and to every visitor who steps on our beaches, to strengthen our laws, improve our security presence in vulnerable areas, protect women in abusive relationships, and ensure that no cry for help goes unheard.
Karen’s final act on Earth will be one of compassion — through organ donation, she will save lives even in death. What will Antigua and Barbuda’s act be in return?
This cannot be who we are. We must honour Karen by ensuring that no woman is ever failed in this way again.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Citizen
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These sort of things will happen because criminals are comforted when they hear the prime minister advice to criminals to get rid of weapons that were used to commit crimes.
Please stop saying how tragic this is because it’s a white person and a big country, and they have my sympathies, it is tragic that all these robberies of elderly persons assaulted and robbed at gun point and the shootings, this American lady just added to the list, but the media usually have a different nuances for ethnicities or color, you hear about Ukraine war on the media than Congo or somalia, these media personnel seeking white validation, this is shocking because what happened to that white American woman has happened worst with Chantel and the young girl found at Dickinson bay, but these same sympathizers was quiet and awoke when it’s done to a Caucasian, we need to stop the crime against humanity and don’t label it femicide and all that crap, because both men and woman die because crimes were committed against them, may these criminals be brought to justice even though that won’t give back life to grieving families.
@Eldread aka El Dumb. You write the same xenophobic crap every single time. That chip on your shoulder must really hurt you. Get some therapy. Your dumb opinions won’t change a damn thing you miserable bastard. You are the dumbest commentator on this website.
Antiguans need to take a long, deep look at themselves. Antigua is no longer a warm and hospitable place. It’s people have become brazen, racist, corrupt, greedy, entitled. No one is safe here and their possessions seem fair game for thieves, which seems to be the preferred profession of young people here. Antiguan society needs an over haul from top to bottom. Because the rot starts at the top with corrupt and dishonest leaders of course the infection has spread throughout society.
@anonymous: but you have no contributions, just a reactionary, your personal emotions against other people freedom of expression has driven your fingers to engage the keyboard in a visceral manner in context to intellect, please say if you will like these crimes to end against people in their homes and in the public, am sure you suffer from phobias like if the doors are locked and if that hoodie person is following you, I have heard of hundreds of crimes and couple a murders against local citizens constantly before the sad occurrence of this American lady, a human being death. and all this have the country in a restless and phobia and shocked state.
The police at Jolly Harbour literally advised a friend of mine to beat his wife. If the police here were ethical and followed through with each report, the ‘low crime rate’ wouldn’t exist – this country is scamming foreigners.
I feel anger and frustration. How did this slip through the cracks? Someone should be held accountable.
WHAT THE HELL…! …THE SILLIEST QUESTION OF THE YEAR-2025: …DESTINED TO DIE
READ: R v STEADROY MC DOUGAL: MURDER CASE: DECEMBER 25, 1998:
***
INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS:
***
DECEMBER MURDER: ‘…27-YEARS AGO’
This case reminds one of the ‘…STEADROY MC DOUGAL MURDERING OF LOVER WHO REPORTEDLY JILTED HIM FOR ANOTHER- December 25, 1998’ [Navigator Apartments: English Harbor].
***
LETTER WRITER QUESTION:
The ‘…QUESTION’ posed must be the ‘…SILLIEST QUESTION OF THE YEAR- 2025.’
***
SARCASTIC ANSWER:
There must be a ‘…SARCASTIC ANSWER.’ THIS TIME WITH TWO ‘…QUESTIONS.’
***
(i) ‘…DID YOU SEE IT COMING: and
(ii) …COULD YOU HAVE PREVENTED ITS COMMISSION?
***
PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE
NOW:
MINDFUL OF DEMISE:
Persons who: are
(a) ‘…MINDFUL OF IMPENDING PHYSICAL DANGER: and of
(b) …THEIR ULTIMATE DEMISE,’ and took:
(i) ‘…NO PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: or
(ii) …EVASIVE ACTION, ARE ‘…DESTINED TO DIE.’
Writing from ‘…PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE,’ and theorising from the contents of the letter, it may have been spurred: by
(a) ‘…DISAGREEMENT AND PASSION: and thus
(b) …That which has been regionally described as a ‘…CRIME OF PASSION.’
***
UNMINDFUL OF DEMISE:
Thus, the only person who may have been ‘…UNMINDFUL’ of her ‘DEMISE,’unfortunately, may have been the’…VICTIM’ herself.
MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS: PLIGHT AND DEMISE:
Now, if the Victim: was
(i) ‘…MINDFUL OF HER PLIGHT AND DEMISE: if anything
(ii) …WHAT DID: she
(a) ‘…DO: or
(b) …MAY HAVE DONE: or
(c) …DID NOT DO?
***
True the law shall take its course, murmuring does not
(i) ‘…PREVENT:
(ii) … STOP: nor
(iii) …REDUCE CRIME.
***
CRIMES:
Every citizen shall know, that while some ‘…CRIMES’ are, some are not preventable.’
***
HOW’S THAT…?
FOLLOW THE CRIME TRIANGLE:
THE INTENT:
(i) ‘…NO ONE CAN SEE THE ‘…INTENT’ THAT DRIVES THE PASSION:
***
THE TARGETTED VICTIM:
(ii) …EXCEPT AN ATTEMPT AND CONSTANT BRUTALITY, NO ONE KNOWS THAT HE/SHE IS A ‘…TARGETTED VICTIM: and
***
.
THE OPPORTUNITY:
(iii) …NO ONE EVER KNEW THAT SOMEONE IS AWAITING FOR ‘…AN OPPORTUNITY’ TO MURDER HIM/HER.’
***
Though there may be:
(a) ‘…THE INTENT: and
(b) …THE IDENTIFIED VICTIM: if
(c) …THERE WAS NO ‘…OPPORTUNITY,’ no crime could be perpetrated against a victim.
***
WHAT THE HELL…!
***
The same way it can happen anywhere in the world. So you think that because someone is in Antigua that their heart may not be wicked?
That’s one dumb ass question. How the murder of an innocent child happened? how could the brutal murder of two young females, leaving both bodies on the wayside happened? how could a young female succumb to her death by being thrown from a moving vehicle happened in little Wadadli? Is it because she was a white American business woman, who was strangely in a business you expected a local would’ve been in?
Presently no one is off limit. Our new Commissioner continues to speak boldly, let’s see what’s he is all about.
No, women are not safe in Antigua. Neither are children. The most vulnerable persons in our society. We also are not doing enough to prevent gender based attacks. Why? Because our culture is inherently misogynistic and our caribbean men are socialised to prey on and brutalize those they believe to be weaker than them. Sickening, really.
@ Anonymous,
Eldread is right on target.
What he addresses and alludes to are the unfortunate truth.
The question is what are the factors in your life that causing you to lose your mind when Eldread expresses the conditions and consequences caused by spineless self hating cleptos that run the country?
Are you among an immigrant grifter like the deceased?
We are being over run by migrant grifters who who calls themselves expats.
This is enabled by a Government that maintains a bro-colonial bureaucracy that stifles innovation and entrepreneurship among the local people.
Eldread speaks truth to power and for you, the truth hurts.
I suspect you are among an immigrant grifter like the deceased?
Mr.pompey
I have asked you in the past to make your comments short concise and to the point!
You have that much to say? Hmmm
Cocky if you ask me..
Something is going on in antigua, and it’s not good.
We need a cleansing!
Yet the government acts like all is well..
Sad indeed!
Did any of you complaining about “who” of the victims attention is being given to, write a letter (like this one for example) about other victims? Perhaps more attention could have been given to “others” if someone had like this person did for the female American business owner…
@Anonymous
Your vile attack on Eldread suggests you are among the immigrant grifters known as expats who come to our shores looking for a better life.
You succeed for only two reasons; we love your type more than we love our own.
You spew deflection by serving attacks for you and your kind are deadly afraid of the truth.
We have forgotten Nigel Christian, the teenage mother who body was found down fig tree drive.
We have forgotten the young lady whose mutilated body was found on a beach; while the police pulls out all stops for a grifter.
It’s not xenophobic crap. Eldread offers the facts, and the unfortunate reality.
Don’t feel threatened; our people are still in the neocolonial mindset
My heart aches. My fear grows. My hope is that Karen’s legacy becomes new laws and stronger protections.
Violence against women is not “someone else’s problem.” It is our crisis to confront. Her memory must drive change
It’s not just tourists at risk. Local women are abused and murdered too. Karen’s story must open our eyes to ALL victims.
Tourism cannot survive if people fear for their safety. We need patrols, cameras, protections not promises.
We need CCTV cameras installed throughout Antigua and Barbuda.
How many times have we heard “lessons will be learned”? We need change . RIGHT NOW before another woman dies.
Beautifully written. Karen deserved to grow old, not lose her life to violence. We must do better as a nation.
Our country needs change and as every incident comes and goes, we pay lip service. If people really cared it would not get to this point. Not only is this Karen a tragedy but all those who have suffered violence on this land before her. Violence is on the up tick. What will Antigua do about it. My guess is nothing, as we are a week minded society and the people in charge know it. Everyone is on the take sad to say. Welcome to the new Jamaica, talk a big game with nothing but shit behind there words. Just watch, this incedent will come and go.
@ Anonymous
If you think what Eldread writes is xenophobic crap; then take the next cigarette boat with four engines out into the Caribbean Sea
Antiguans and Barbudans deserve to be protected from the miseducation of Colonialism that you enjoy.
Our economy is dominated by grifters who made themselves at home.
Eldread speaks truth and justice which makes the Grifter community feel uncomfortable.
Don’t shoot the messenger. Enjoy your privilege while it lasts.
Karen and her family are a personal friend of mine, and I worked closely with her when she was an American resident. What happened to her is tragic and awful, and a large and growing community of in USA are watching this story with an expectation of justice. Not just for Karen, but for anyone in Antigua who suffers (or has suffered) a similar fate. What happens next will inform many of us of how to regard the general safety and lawfulness (or lawlessness) of Antigua as a destination for visit, retirement, or resettlement. Karen was well loved here and was a well-known local celebrity in our area. We are watching.
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