Saint Lucian
authorities have responded in the untimely death of British National,
Roger Pratt, on board his yacht while anchored off the the island’s
southern coast.

Roger
and Margaret Pratt were attacked on their vessel on Friday, January
17, in Vieux Fort. The Warwickshire couple were seven months into a round-the-world voyage.

Mr Pratt, aged 62, was found dead in the water near their yacht Magnetic Attraction. His wife Margaret was treated for injuries and then discharged. 

Three suspects are in custody and charges are expected to be laid shortly in this matter. 

The results of a post mortem on Roger Pratt, conducted on Monday January 20, indicate that he died of asphyxia secondary to blunt force
trauma.

Minister
for tourism, heritage and the creative industries, Hon. Lorne
Theophilus, has expressed his sympathies to Mrs Pratt and her family
on behalf of the Government and people of Saint Lucia.

Minister
Theophilus said: ‘We as a Government have extended our deepest
sympathies to the family of Mr Roger Pratt and indeed have been in
constant interface with his wife, Mrs Pratt.’

The
Minister commended the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force for an aggressive
and thorough investigation.

Despite this latest incident, the island’s
Tourism Minister assures that Saint Lucia is in fact a very safe
destination, and that this, in no way, underscores the character of the
Saint Lucian people.

‘We felt safe in Saint
Lucia until those final tragic minutes’

In an interview with the Government of St Lucia, Mrs Pratt denied reports that they had been prohibited from leaving the
island because of bureaucracy. Mrs Pratt said she and her
husband had always intended to dock in Vieux Fort then leave on Tuesday 21 January and head to Bequia in
the Grenadines. 

She
said: ‘We knew when we left Soufriere that the customs station in Vieux
Fort was only manned Monday to Friday.

‘We understood the regulation to
be, if we signed out from Soufriere we could still leave from Vieux
Fort as long as we left within three days.

‘When we visited the Customs
and Excise in Soufriere, the Chief Officer at the time explained that
our understanding was not correct and that we needed to go within 24
hours. Because we wanted to go to Vieux Fort, we didn’t sign out.’

Mrs Pratt denied that her husband had been gunned down or
stabbed by assailants.

Mrs
Pratt said she and her husband enjoyed their time in Saint Lucia: ‘We’ve been here almost two and a half weeks. We felt safe in Saint
Lucia until those final tragic minutes.

‘And we’ve had considerable
kindness from very many people and that kindness is continuing during
the period of the homicide investigation.’