Murders of autistic teen, nurse bothered Young 'tremendously'

PRIME Minister Stuart Young said the murders of autistic teenager Malini Persad and nurse O'delle Lalman-Baptiste bothered him tremendously.

He said this while speaking in a wide-ranging radio interview on Slam 100.5 FM’s morning show with hosts Ancil “Blaze” Isaac and Myles “Selector Myles” Grant on April 22.

Persad disappeared last week and her decomposing body, bearing signs of assault, was found days later in a forested area near her home. The 52-year-old man held for her murder, later committed suicide while in police custody.

Lalman-Baptiste was stabbed and her throat slit over the weekend, hours after armed men ambushed her and her husband when he stopped at the side of the road to urinate.

“Those (murders) show that there are a lot of psychological things that need to be addressed,” Young said, adding the government is committed to fighting crime through a combination of “hard policing” and targeted social intervention.

He warned “fighting fire with fire” alone will not solve the crime crisis.

He said while elite police squads, legislative reform and the use of advanced technology are all part of the crime-fighting strategy, these must be matched with measures that restore hope and pride in communities.

“We’ve declared crime a public health crisis. The truth is, it requires a lot of focus and emphasis. You have two sides. You have the hard fight — and that’s fighting fire with fire — but also the softer, more transformational side.”

Young said government was working to create job opportunities within Housing Development Corporation (HDC) communities by using procurement laws to allow residents to be employed in the maintenance and development of their own surroundings.

“Don’t underestimate that measure,” he said. “It stimulates that little domestic economy. It uplifts people. They begin to feel a sense of belonging, a sense of pride.”

Young made it clear government will not entertain partnerships with criminal elements to gain political ground.

“The way to do it is not to get in bed with the criminal elements. That I am certain about. All that does is make it worse. We learned that from LifeSport,” he said.

“What we are promising is not billions we don’t have. We’re promising a more efficient system, a more equitable one.”

Addressing recent high-profile incidents, including the murder of Arkim Quashie at Piarco International Airport last week, Young said a combination of elite law enforcement teams and intelligence-driven operations are already being deployed.

He stressed, however, cultural change, especially among young men, must also be a national priority.

He added that, coupled with improving the criminal justice system, by including more virtual court hearings and better collaboration between the judiciary and executive, will be a key post-election priority.

“You can't just be allowing our young men to sit in prison for five, ten, sometimes 15 years waiting for a date. That is not justice.”

Young said he anticipates victory for the PNM in the April 28 general election and has already planned a meeting on April 29 with a team from the new government and the chief justice to explore how best to increase efficiency in the judiciary.

In the hour-long interview, Young also addressed the economy, youth development, foreign affairs, and healthcare reform.

On the economic front, he expressed concern about what he called the Opposition’s “bag of goodies” in the lead-up to elections.

He warned irresponsible promises could bankrupt the country and force Trinidad and Tobago to go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“If the wrong decisions are taken…the first thing to go when the IMF reaches is all the subsidies. No more free healthcare, no more free education, fuel subsidies gone, electricity rates up, water rates up. I am fighting along with the PNM to protect these things,” Young added.

He also rejected claims that the Dragon gas project had failed, saying, “The answer is no – it is not dead. But it requires innovation, diplomacy and leadership.”

Young revealed that a recent call on April 18 with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was a “very significant one,” during which he continued to advocate for Trinidad and Tobago’s interests in the energy sector.

He also outlined plans to use data and digital systems to improve healthcare efficiency, pointing to a bed-tracking system already being implemented in public hospitals, and promised increased focus on education reform, youth training programmes, and housing development post-election.

He insisted the government is intent on making lasting change.