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Good Day Mr. Liburd,
I am a friend of Candice Worrell and was therefore very concerned when I came across your recent article captioned “Welcome Back, Candice!” this morning.
The news is fantastic but consideration should be given to the fact that the perpetrator of this crime has not been found.
He/she is still out there and is most likely monitoring Candice’s progress. The fact that she is now conversing is going to make him/her very nervous.
There is no telling what they might do to keep her from revealing their identity. The worker from the re-upholstery establishment downstairs Jenexcon has also been put at risk by these revelations and must also be scared for his life.
Jan Michael is a great guy etc. etc. and I am overjoyed to hear about Candice’s progress but if you guys really care about Candice please consider her safety before divulging this type of information in the future.
Regards,
Concerned Reader
Good Day Concerned Reader,
I thank you for taking the time to write Wired868 on this matter and I believe that in itself shows how seriously you take your role as Candice’s friend.
I assure that Candice’s wellbeing is a priority to me as well. Wired868 was the first to write on the tragic incident but has always given Candice’s loved ones the time and space needed to deal with this catastrophe.
Now, in no way am I suggesting that this gives me the right to endanger her life. I’m just trying to point out that we are very genuinely concerned about how Candice gets on.
There are always different sides to every story and I appreciate and respect yours.
But let me tell you why I wrote that story and why I mentioned the re-upholstering employee.
The employee was never an anonymous witness. The assailant spoke directly to him at the scene of the crime and, if he is monitoring the case, he would already know that the employee made a statement to the police.
In fact, my story said that the employee claimed he could not remember the assailant beyond his green jersey.
So the assailant, who already knows he was seen, might rest easy in the knowledge that no identification seems possible.
The assailant doesn’t need the media to tell him who Candice’s fiancé is and where he lives (although I never gave an address in any report).
And Candice’s comings and goings on weekends would have been impossible to conceal. Just as it would not have been difficult for anyone, suitably motivated, to track Candice down at a public hospital.
The Wired868 story might have again offered the assailant some comfort, if he is online and/or reads us, in that Candice is reported to have no memory of the incident.
So, if the assailant wanted to do more serious damage to Candice and had the means to do so; he wouldn’t need any info from the media.
And, if he was concerned about being found out, he might have been relieved by what he read about the “witness” and on Candice’s failing memory.
But Wired868 feels no pleasure in making this deranged individual feel “comfortable”.
Candice’s attack had nothing to do with Wired868 and no one can guarantee her safety. For the reasons I mentioned, I don’t believe we put Candice under any additional risk.
But we do want people thinking about her assailant. Our system is supposed to work to protect Candice and the rest of us.
Suppose the employee did see the assailant but was unwilling to give a description out of personal fear?
That doesn’t make him safer; it possibly makes life riskier for all of us.
Jenexcon employees should similarly consider ways to make their workplace safer. But Wired868‘s silence on Candice won’t help them.
Please understand that I’m not dismissing your very justifiable concerns.
I will respect you and the calm, measured tone of your letter even if you are not moved one iota by what I said.
I will just like to reiterate that Wired868 will never knowingly put Candice’s life or anyone else’s life at risk. And we continue to pray for her quick recovery and that the assailant pays for his crimes.
Yours respectfully,
Lasana
Editor’s Note: Do you have an opinion to share on our coverage of this tragic incident or on the way the media covers crime in general? Please leave your comments with us and join this discussion
Jan-Michael Williams stated in an earlier story that he brought this tragic story to the public domain, in early February, as a warning regarding violent crimes against women–particularly as Trinidad and Tobago prepared for Carnival 2012 at that time.
Wired868 believes he always strived to ensure the safety of his fiancée while also delivering a message of caution and vigilance to the public at large.
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
Good day readers. We sometimes feel keeping quiet is better, not all the times. Look at the results of people putting their own lives at risk to get justice on the Ian Alleyne show. The same victims are the ones who gives interviews on television and gives up tapes that shows the crime committed and the perpetrators. Maybe if we should trust in God a little more, When the angel of death comes we can’t hide. Please Lasana continue to follow up on this case and help make a difference, be the wired 868 Ian Alleyne and better.
Silence will not make anyone safer, certainly not Candice. Perhaps people will one day cease to make accusations without having all the facts in the matter, we can always dream! I would not have known about this story without the Wired868’s coverage which was measured and responsible. I continue to depend on this source for journalistic integrity.
The perpetrator was arrested
A lot of people had forgotten about this horrible incident. the fact is that there are similar incidents daily and people get numb to the news. Bringing the story back on reminded people and may have jogged a few memories. Wired868 has responsibilities to report fairly on all sides of a story and provide the type of information which may encourage witnesses to come forward or people to offer support to the affected families.
While appreciating the concerns expressed by the letter writer I agree with the editor. There has to be a balance between fearful silence and sensitive coverage of these kinds of all too common distressing events. I believe Wired 868 struck precisely the right balance in this case and applaud their continued coverage of the story. Too often after the initial sensational news about the crime itself, the real humans involved get lost and we never hear any follow up. Keep up the good work!
As you mentioned, “no one can guarantee her safety” but, Mr. Liburd, we can try to mitigate the risks. Sensationalism in the media is a problem we live with daily in T&T. What can I say, journalists have to make a living also. Hopefully, no one will get hurt in the process.
If it was not for wired 868 we may not have heard about the incident. The so called main stream media was asleep as per usual on this matter. I applaud Lasana for being and keeping on this story.