A 15-YEAR-OLD schoolgirl in Britain was stabbed to death on Thursday, and the media and public commentators reacted with horror and urgency.
“The carnage and the cruelty must end,” the Daily Express said in its Friday editorial.
There is extensive national media coverage, with analyses, recommendations, and live blogs.
Politicians have come forward with aggressive anti-crime proposals, and – the suspect is a 15-year-old schoolboy – assurances to improve mental health care.
Britain, with a population of 67.5 million, had 602 murders last year – a significantly lower rate than that of Trinidad and Tobago.
Britain has no crisis with home invasions, extortions, assaults, gang warfare, street robberies and other serious and bloody crimes.
Still, The Mirror newspaper in its Friday editorial is demanding more police officers, additional resources for youth services, the appointment of a dedicated knife crime tsar and other specific measures.
Other media houses are equally insisting on immediate action.
T&T is in a criminal hellhole, and – many people don’t like the parallel – is on a short course to Haiti-style anarchy, with a breakdown of law and order.
Criminal beasts are killing at will, moving into homes almost as soon as the sun sets, extracting payoffs from business operators, and assaulting anyone in their way.
There is news reportage of the major bloody offences, but little critical commentary, and only a slap on the wrist for the government from civic society.
Labour, business, academia, faith-based organisations, professional bodies, and non-governmental groups, are mum or comment with delicate, inoffensive language.
The national Chamber says that “crime needs an urgent follow-up,” whatever that means.
The mouthpiece for city business tiptoes around the crisis – “leaders can’t remain silent on crime” – even though “the national economy (is) stagnating… there is little or no job creation and existing jobs are at risk.”
Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley is detached and aloof after the failure of his earlier sleight-of-hand – a wasteful $3.5 million Caricom conference, and “crime is a public health issue” depiction.
Leaders’ jobs include digesting bulky documents, but Rowley considers a seven-page proposal from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar “voluminous.”
The recommendations have not been scrutinised by the media, experts, commentators, or other public interest groups.
While there is indifference to crime, many are absorbed and strongly opinionated by – hear this – the antics of a beauty queen.
They are also animated by the senseless “chicken curry” debate.
Meanwhile, British society is calling the stabbing of a schoolgirl, an atrocity, a nightmare, and “terrifying criminality.”
