Business as usual at UWI – but kidnap not forgotten

At the University of the West Indies' St Augustine campus yesterday, it was impossible to tell there had been an air of panic, fear and terror as employee Maria Dass-Supersad was abducted in broad daylight just the day before.

Dass-Supersad had been on her way to her car after she finished work as commercialisation manager in the Office of Institutional Advancement and Internalisation. Shortly after 3pm, she was grabbed at gunpoint by two men, one in police uniform and the other in army fatigues, and forced into a silver Nissan Tiida. The kidnappers fired shots to ensure no one followed them. This left eyewitnesses cowering and running for cover, unable to stop the abduction.

Dass-Supersad was safely rescued at around 8.30 later that night from the Caura valley.

Yesterday it was business as usual as students attended classes and administration staff went about their work. But this did not mean the incident had been forgotten.

One student said as she walked to class, "This is Trinidad, you are not safe anywhere, and unfortunately it has spilled over into the campus again. How many people are security going to stop when they see them dressed in police or army uniforms? You can't tell who is who."

UWI has had its share of attacks and protests over staff and student safety while on campus in recent times. In mid-October a female student was sexually assaulted and students clamouring for security to be beefed up held several protests.

Another student said while safety has been increased, it was not 100 per cent foolproof.

"Yes, we are seeing more security guards making their rounds, when before you never saw them, and they had started monitoring the northern and southern entrances. But they cannot monitor everybody who comes and goes. Nobody is safe anywhere, here or anywhere outside there, travelling or walking on the road," she said.