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Wednesday, July 20, 2016

The persecution continues


The persecution of the Robin family continues unabated in the courts of Dominica. You will recall that husband and wife couple Mr. Lenox Robin and Ms. Fran Williams-Robin were arrested at the burial ceremony of Ms. Williams-Robin's mother, who had just passed away. The couple were in Dominica to attend the funeral.

The couple were arrested based on an allegation made by Haitian Carlene Jean-Marie, a close personal friend of St. Alphonsus parish priest Monsignor Eustace Thomas. Msgr. Thomas appears to have an unusually close relationship with Ms. Jean-Marie, who is known to frequent the St. Alphonsus rectory regularly. The purpose of Ms. Jean-Marie's regular visits have not been disclosed so we can only surmise that Msgr. Thomas, recognizing that Ms. Jean-Marie is a sinner in constant need of guidance, sheperds his flock within the confines of his residence.

Carlene Jean-Marie at the St. Alphonsus Rectory

Ms. Jean-Marie has been a constant thorn at the side of the Robins. Ms. Williams-Robin has been attempting to evict her from the residence of her now-deceased mother and has been unable to do so due to interference by Msgr. Thomas, her cousin. Msgr. Thomas, affectionately known to Ms. Jean-Marie as "Tus", appears to be using his position of influence with the ruling Dominica Labour Party government of Roosevelt Skerrit to frustrate Ms. Williams-Robin's efforts, and the arrest of the couple at the cemetery proved once and for all that the police and the government are in cahoots with Tus. We find that reprehensible and the silence of the Bishop of Roseau Gabriel Malzaire speaks volumes. Ms. Williams-Robin has reached out to the Bishop, to no avail.

Carlene Jean-Marie at the St. Alphonsus Rectory

Earlier this month the couple were before Magistrate Asquith Riviere and were found guilty on a spurious charge of battery on Ms. Jean-Marie. Ms. Jean-Marie had accused Ms. Williams-Robin of "poking" her and that allegation culminated in fines of $2,500 on the Robins. The couple are appealing the judgment.

Carlene Jean-Marie at the St. Alphonsus Rectory

We at MiTC have been concerned for some time about jurisprudence in Dominica. In testimony before Magistrate Riviere Ms. Jean-Marie testified that she sustained her injurious "poke" on the left side of her body beneath her arm. However Mr. Riviere, in passing judgment, determined that Mr. and Ms. Robin were guilty of battery because Ms. Jean-Marie displayed a scar on her left scapula. The scapula is also known as the shoulder blade which leads us to wonder how Mr. Riviere came to the conclusion that the scar on Ms. Jean-Marie's shoulder blade was evidence that she had sustained an injury below her arm. What is even more astonishing is this; in a tedious 2-hour plus soliloquy on the bench that passed for his decision, Magistrate Riviere noted the discrepancies in the  testimony of Ms. Jean-Marie but failed to take that into account. He further stated that the police were correct in arresting the Robins without an arrest warrant. You must remember that the allegation by Ms. Jean-Marie was not investigated prior to the arrest; the police showed up at the cemetery on instructions from their superiors who were most likely acting at the behest of a government official on the behalf of Tus.

A less-than-glamourous Carlene Jean-Marie outside Police Headquarters after arrest of the Robins

Update: 06:00 GMT

We're updating this story to inform you that the Robin's have been given their travel documents and have departed Dominica. We will continue to monitor this story as it progresses.

It is now one month since the initial arrest of Mr. and Ms. Robin and they are yet to be released for travel. The couple have been stuck in Dominica, unable to return to their j0bs and their lives in the United States. Their travel documents have been seized and their appeal has been languishing in the courts. The government of Roosevelt Skerrit seems intent on humiliating and severely disrupting the lives of the Robins with the blessings of their political activist and pulpit prognosticator Msgr. Eustace "Tus" Thomas. We encourage the Robins to inform the Pontifical Commission of The Vatican about this abuse of pastoral influence. We also encourage Magistrate Riviere to make a visit to the nearest mental health practitioner as well.


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2 comments :

  1. Dr Clayton ShillingfordJuly 22, 2016 at 10:57 PM

    If all factual it is beyond comprehension how such can occur in Dominica

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy for u my boy. Allu jus hearing Allu doh know nutin. In 2010 or there about, a fella who has sinced died was sentenced to three months jail by Rosie son, a then magistrate. After a few days he was on the streets, the magistrate, I hope I got his title right, resigned saying that unless someone tells him what this fella is doing out of jail, he is not interested in their job. I cannot update u on this issue. Don't forget the fire bombing of the elderly man and his wife home somewhere on the west coast which prompted the Calypso 'bai yo bahbalen, Emmanuel'. Although I am an ardent Christian I keep saying to myself this cannot jus b looked over as normal and these things do not HAVE to happen even though we are dealing with 'unsaved' men

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