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Trinidad mayor blames Carnival killing on dancer’s ‘lewd behavior’

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Outrage over the crime, however, quickly shifted towards the city’s mayor after he suggested that by dressing in a revealing costume and dancing, Nagakiya was to blame for her own killing.

“You know before Carnival I did make a comment about vulgarity and lewdness,” Raymond Tim Kee said during a Wednesday press conference, according to local media station Loop. “The woman has the responsibility to ensure that [she is] not abused.”


“And my argument was you could enjoy Carnival without going through that routine … of prancing and partying,” he asked. “Then why you can’t continue with that and maintain some kind of dignity?”

You have to let your imagination roll a bit and figure out was there any evidence of resistance or did alcohol control?” he told reporters. “Therefore involuntary actions were engaged in, and so on ….

“It’s a matter of, if she was still in her costume – I think that’s what I heard – let your imagination roll,” he added, before casting the killing less as an outrageous crime than as an “embarrassment” for the city.

“My comment is that is rather embarrassing for us, the City, it is embarrassing for Carnival,” he said. “Our culture is not just playing mas,” he added, referring to the practice of dressing up in costume and accompanying a soca band through the streets. “There are a lot of other subcultures people engage in all year, and therefore they have to be very alert and very careful about whom they associating with when they go out.”


But don't worry he appoligized

"His Worship the Mayor of Port of Spain Alderman Raymond Tim Kee unequivocally apologizes to women and the national population who were offended by remarks attributed to him following the death of carnival visitor and mas player, Asami Nagakiya,” it began, before then equivocating.

“Mayor Tim Kee says that his comments were completely misconstrued,” it continued. “He agrees that his comments could have been considered out of line, but despite the anger being expressed from many quarters including feminist groups and activists, he has also received calls of support from several women agreeing with him on the lack of modesty displayed by some women and girls on the streets during the Carnival Celebrations.

“There is indeed a concern about the behaviour of both male and female mas players generally as they are now being emulated by children who believe that lewd behaviour and carnival go hand in hand.”

Oh wait that's doubling down....

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...es-carnival-killing-on-dancers-lewd-behavior/
 

PulseONE

Member
Wow, did NOT expect to see this on GAF lol

Yep, as a Trinidadian let me tell you, the fallout has been HUUUUUUGE

Currently a protest going on outside his office, about 10 minutes from where I am now, craaaazy traffic.

But its unlikely he will be fired. Our current Prime Minister, when he was elected, put this guy in charge as one of his first actions.
 
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