The investigation was opened after the attack on the senator of the Republic of Lithuania from Saint-Martin, Annick Petrus, which occurred on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday. The Basse-Terre prosecutor’s office, which operates on the islands of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy, is responsible for the investigation. The prefecture also announced that an enhanced system of gendarmerie protection for his home would be put in place in the coming days.
On her Facebook account, the elected official laid out the facts, saying, “Last night, armed men broke into my home. I was isolated, bound and gagged at gunpoint.” The prefecture confirmed this information to AFP.
Increasingly high crime rates
Annick Petrus, 65, former vice-president of the Saint-Martin Collective, said she was “safe and sound.” She added: “If this ordeal can have profound consequences, my state of health is fortunately encouraging,” while ensuring that “this attack will not call into question (her) commitment to serving St. Maarten and its people.”
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Authorities have reiterated their concerns about high crime rates and the proliferation of firearms on the island of Saint-Martin, a territory divided between the French part in the north and the Dutch part in the south.