The Dominica Council on Ageing (DCOA) has expressed sadness over the murder of prominent businessman, Norman Rolle and said it condemns the brutal act.
President of the DCOA, Ophelia Marie, said in a statement that the Rolle was a friend of the council and supported whatever activity the organization was involved in.
“The Dominica Council on Ageing stops and pauses to indicate that it is at pain and completely condemns the brutal murder of Mr. Norman Rolle,” she said. “We are saddened, not because of him but also because of the kind of violence against older persons.”
She believes that a shift in attitude towards older people has to happen.
“People have to respect those older persons and think not only twice, but 3 times before they think it’s ok to mete out that level of punishment for no reason on older persons,” Marie stated.
She continued, “I mean if we think about it, the man’s age and what he has had to endure before he died, this is really a lot and all our seniors join me in saying something has to be done and punishment should be in line with the crimes committed.”
She added, “We cannot just let our country behave as if we don’t care, because I know our country cares and we really have to show that we care by everything that we do around our older persons, the persons who have laid the foundation for us, for our culture, for our ability to speak, for our independence and for our wanting to develop and move forward. So we have to pay attention to what is happening to our older persons.”
The DCOA president extended profound sympathies, on behalf of the council, to the family and friends of Mr. Rolle and his grieving employees.
On the evening of October 29, 2021, 86-year-old Norman Rolle who was the proprietor of Valley Engineering, was attacked and killed at his home in Sylvania and his body was later discovered in nearby bushes on the premises.
Twenty-one-year-old Ronaldo Wiltshire of Castle Bruce has since been charged with the murder of the late businessman.
Yes, this young man, if found guilty, should not be allowed to ever again interact with people outside the prison.
Going forward, we should not only focus on punishment but more on preventive measures. Key sectors of society should put their heads together to devise the best solutions to mitigate against such ghastly crimes. We need consultation and inclusion if we are to overcome this scourge.