NewslineTCI has been informed that some hotels on Providenciales are scrambling to put in place proper travelling accommodation for their late shift workers in the wake of a female employee being raped by men she thought to have been a jitney driver and passenger.
The incident occurred early Wednesday morning.
The incident has triggered outrage on social media, with persons calling for the authorities to act swiftly to apprehend the hoodlums who committed the assault, and to also highlight the issue in the media so that there is an awareness among the general population.
According to information received, the woman had just clocked out of work from a notable hotel on Grace Bay and flagged down an approaching car with two men aboard. It is alleged that along the journey, the men attacked the woman and raped her. It is unclear as to which part of the journey the incident took place or what was the victim’s destination.
Sources from three hotels along that strip told NewslineTCI that high-level meetings were held at the various resorts where the issue was discussed with a view to put measures in place to ferry late-working employees, especially women, to their respective communities.
Some resorts already have such systems in place.
This is not the first time that individuals leaving work at nights and boarded what they thought were jitneys were attacked by the driver and or their passengers, as there have been reports of both men and women falling prey to such acts.
And while many social media writers are calling for immediate action, there has been an intense debate as to whether these criminal incidents were being carried out by genuine jitney drivers or shady individuals operating under such guise.
“At the end of the day, we have to say they are jitney drivers, because when they stopped the victims, they ask them if they want jitney. So, I would say they are jitney drivers,” one individual wrote.
Another stated: “This is giving the jitney drivers a bad name. There are many jitney drivers who come on the road to make a honest bread for their families, and these actions will not make the general public wary of them. Now, we might have to brand all jitney drivers as criminals, which, I believe is unfair, but necessary, since we do not know them personally.”
Another writer was angered at the situation that there was no mention of the matter from their authorities.
“Since the incident, the public has been aware via WhatsApp and (other) social media…nothing from the police department! Where is the cop whose job is to address this matter in the form of a public press release or a live media coverage????? He is still on the beach relaxing. ...I want to know,” another writer said.