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Published On: Wed, Feb 20th, 2019

Suspect in teacher vehicle theft still under investigation

Stripped Hyundai Tucson - Photo 721news Instagram

~ Student will have his day in court ~

PHILIPSBURG — The recent theft of a teachers’ vehicle still has the teacher in question traumatized. The fact that the teacher had left her vehicle keys on her desk in front of the entire class and a student that she is teaching picks up the keys and steals the vehicle is much to be concerned over.

Speaking with the school manager, she said that although this incident has the teachers on what could be considered as “high alert” there are still some 80% of the students who are still interested in learning. The incident is an indication of “what is happening in the communities are being rolled over to the schools.”

When the vehicle was found later on, the owner only recognized it after a spade left behind by his child was still in the back seat of the vehicle. The vehicle was stripped beyond recognition. Stripped down to the bare bottom.

One teacher said that it is probably an initiation of gang culture where any new member has to do something outrageous that will prove that the new person has “the guts” to do anything. In California some gang leaders call on new members to kill a person that they do not know for their initiation. It is our hope that this does not come to St. Maarten/St. Martin.

The other question comes to mind is the involvement of the parent/parents. Where are they when their children commit such acts? “I sometimes feel that the parents totally ignore the fact that their children are doing wrong since in some cases they benefit from the spoils of the theft.”

Head of the Secondary Education feels that the morals of the children have “hit rock bottom” and she does not know what else to do except the parents and the educators come together to find solutions to these problems that the youth are faced with. The few that are doing badly in the schools are also in some cases trying to influence the others who want to learn.

Teachers are asked to be very vigilant since their only alternative is to discipline the children either by some form of punishment or send them home for some time. “Does this help… in most cases no. The parents are out their sometimes working two jobs “to make ends meet.”

We have learnt that the student in this case was sent home after the police questioned him. He was sent home because the Miss. Lalie Center for juveniles has been closed since it was damaged by the hurricanes of 2017. The law dictates that a juvenile should not be kept among other inmates in the Pointe Blanche Prison. “This is truly a travesty.”

According to the spokesperson from the Public Prosecutor Office, she said that the juvenile was released but will be prosecuted. No date has been set for the hearing as yet.

Photo caption: The state of the teacher’s vehicle when found. Photo taken from 721news Instagram page.

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