Murders, Elder Deaths Weigh on BVI
Opposition legislator Ronnie Skelton says recent murders and the passing of long-standing elders are taking an emotional toll on the British Virgin Islands. Speaking in the House of Assembly, Skelton lamented the killings of businessman Kai de Castro and K'Moi Walters and urged reflection during the territory's Emancipation observances.
Opposition legislator Ronnie Skelton has warned that a combination of recent murders and the deaths of senior community members is weighing heavily on residents across the British Virgin Islands. Speaking in the House of Assembly, Skelton reflected on the killing of businessman Kai de Castro and called the violent loss of a young person ‘‘particularly troubling’’ for the territory. ‘‘To lose a son in this way, in this violent [manner] is not saying a lot of good things about us as a people,’’ he said, asking rhetorically, ‘‘How are these things happening?’’ Skelton stressed that de Castro’s killing was not an isolated incident.
He pointed to the recent murder of K’Moi Walters in the Huntums Ghut area and said the string of violent incidents is compounded by the passing of older residents who have long been part of the fabric of Virgin Islands life. ‘‘Along with this, we have a lot of our people who are passing.
We talk about Doris Connor, who I’ve known most of my life, really. Skelton said the combined grief from violent crime and natural losses is beginning to affect the wider community. The legislator framed his remarks against the recent Emancipation celebrations, a time when the territory traditionally reflects on the sacrifices of ancestors who fought for freedom. ‘‘Here we are celebrating the emancipation of our forefathers, and it seems like our children and whatever strangers among us don’t understand where we came from, and the struggles we had to be here,’’ Skelton said. ‘‘Some of these things are really, really hurtful.’’ Skelton extended condolences to the de Castro family and to other families across the territory who have lost loved ones.
He also acknowledged the close family connection between Kai de Castro and Education Minister Sharie de Castro, noting Kai was her first cousin and expressing concern for how the minister is coping: ‘‘I don’t know what state she’s gonna be in.’’ The comments highlight the emotional strain felt in the weeks following several high-profile deaths and underscore broader questions about community safety and cohesion.
Residents, civic leaders and elected officials have been urged to continue supporting grieving families and to use periods of reflection such as Emancipation to consider how best to protect and unite the territory going forward.
Primary source: BVI News