Widower of Murder Victim Schwarzfeld complains he is kept in the dark about trial
The Canadian news outlets are reporting that the preliminary hearing in the Terry Schwarzfeld tourist murder started today in Bridgetown, Barbados. Bajan Curtis Joel Foster is charged in the February 2009 robbery and murder of the Canadian tourist.
None of the Barbados newspapers carried stories about the upcoming preliminary hearing – which doesn’t surprise most folks as the Bajan newspapers were extremely reluctant and late in covering the story at the time of the murder. It was only after the Ottawa Citizen newspaper criticized the Bajan news media and at the same time lauded Barbados Free Press as being the “only outlet to speak out for Schwarzfeld“ that the Bajan media initiated coverage.
The fact that Bajan citizens have to rely upon foreign newspapers for news about something so important as a tourist murder trial is bad enough – but the worst is the statement made to the Canadian news media by Schwarzfeld’s widower, Stephen Cotsman.
Mr. Cotsman told the Canadian press that the government of Barbados does not keep him properly informed about the ongoing events.
“(Barbados Authorities) seem to inform me after every event… So I don’t know what stage it’s at or anything like that.”
Stephen Cotsmen – widower of murdered Canadian tourist Terry Schwarzfeld tells the Ottawa Citizen and the world that Barbados authorities do not keep him sufficiently informed.
Barbados Government incompetence makes a bad situation worse
This mistake once again shows that the Barbados Government just doesn’t get it when it comes to the importance of looking after guests on the island who run into any sort of trouble – let alone having their spouse murdered on a Barbados beach in broad daylight.
Had Mr. Cotsman felt he was being properly informed and looked after by the Bajan authorities, he would have said something else – perhaps even saying something relatively positive about Barbados considering the circumstances. But no… we as a country didn’t even have enough courtesy to keep the family of the victims informed. Did our government not detail a person to be responsible for this important function? Did the police not detail a responsible and caring officer to be the liaison with the family and witnesses?
Poor show all around by our police, government and tourism authorities.
Ottawa Citizen newspaper: Hearing begins in Barbados killing – Family ‘surviving’ after women’s death
Nothing about the hearing in tomorrow’s papers either. Nothing on the CBC news.
It’s like it never happened.
The talk around town is that this man( Curtis Joel Foster ) is just a scapegoat. Did other crimes and this one got pinned on him as well. Sounds familiar? well it happens alot bout here.
Dear cq8 you wrote “Nothing about the hearing in tomorrow’s papers either.”
How is it that you can know what will be in tomorrow’s paper’s when tomorrow’s papers have not been written yet?
While ya seeing into the future, please give me the winning lottery numbers, and while ya at it the date of the end of the world do.
I’ve noticed that about cq8 too. I’ve noticed he/she is always right about what’s in the morning papers too.
There is something more in the mortar with cq8 J. You’ve picked up on it too.
They probably don’t want to scare the tourists that we have here right now and that is why they are not publisising it in the local media. If in the end it is proved that he did it and justice is served, then I would say the authorities have done their job. I wonder if anyone is representing Mr. Cotsman here who can keep him informed. If not, maybe something should be done about it. As a Barbadian resident, it saddens me that this happened. Condolensces and deepest sympathy to Terry Schwarzfeld’s family. Will say a prayer.
Pingback: Global Voices Online » Barbados: Hearings on Tourist Murder Begin
Who is surprised that the Bajan media has suppressed a story that can attract negative publicity to the island? HH probably loves this. Has he called Miss Martindale to threaten her if the Nation does not publish the story? On the other hand, the other rag probably has probably not yet received instructions from the spin-master on this story
Did it ever occur to the media and government that being seen to actively pursue a criminal might be better exposure for tourists than trying to hide it?
Justice needs to be seen to be done, assuming this man isn’t being made a scapegoat.
There is no easy answer but hiding the process shouldn’t be one of them.
This incident and now case will have ramifications for how tourists reside when they come here.
If the beaches are perceived as not safe, then tourists will only come to all-inclusives, as happens in other countries. Then, there will be no income for ancillary services, unless they are connected to hotels.
Unfortunately, to say that the percentage of violent crimes are low is not enough.
A strong patrol presence and clearly exhibited boosted up beach monitoring by authorities is essential for maintaining order and perception of safety.
I am not sure that the average bajan nor authorities understand that this is probably being watched very closely. Not only from a holiday aspect, but from an investment aspect.
That is the reality, whether we like it or not.
Peace
Tribute to Terry Schwarzfeld
A Tourist to our Country
Traumatized by the attack, Bajans weep
Enraged while awake and restless at sleep
Regretting that any Bajan could be so brutal
Remorseful by the loss of someone so charitable
Years were just 60 when her life was bludgeoned away
She was taking a walk with her daughter-in-law on that day
Cold-hearted thief attacked her while on the beach
Hunk of wood was the closest thing in his reach
Women’s Rights were her devotion and now cruelly
A Bajan criminal took hers and her dedication to philanthropy
Robbed her of her future deeds and the world of her good
Zapped away this valuable life just because he could
For years she was active in the Israeli Women’s Rights fight
Elected recently as President of the Hadassah-WIZO website
Lots of people benefitted and were to, from her life of charity
Dear world we civilized Bajans abhor her demise and offer our sympathy
I feel to express my condolences once again and in my way apologize ti the family for this invaluable lost, so brutally snatched away on our shores.
This acrostic poem is a re-publication
anyone that want information from the police got to pester them till they get it, why should this man be any different?
First posted elsewhere in Barbados. Worth reading here, at least first.
Consider every word below to be between quotation marks.
Dear David,
First, know that all messages I try to post on Barbados Underground, even if you don’t publish them, will see the light of day somewhere. What you choose to do about that circumstance is entirely your concern.
Second, I have noticed a deeply curious thing about your blog. By now I am accustomed to the fact that on every single occasion I try to post on your blog, I get a message saying “Your comment is awaiting moderation.”
Thereafter, after your censorship, sometimes you decide to publish what I have written and sometimes you don’t.
Within the past 15 minutes I tried to post a reply to Mr. Negroman on this thread. I tried repeatedly. Every time I tried, I didn’t even get the message “Your comment is awaiting moderation.” I was simply taken back to your home page. I tried re-sending the message with minor variations, and every time I got the same result.
Then, I tried to post the message after having removed a proper name from it, a family surname. Amazingly, that post appears on your blog, though obviously I am the only person (apart from you) who can see it because it still has to go through your editorial/censorship approval process and so it still says “Your comment is awaiting moderation.”
That post, indeed that entire published thread with my post at the bottom of it, is now (of course) in the memory of my PC.
What struck me is what made the difference between your site’s temporary acceptance of my post and your site’s permanent rejection of my post. What seemed to make the difference was my removal, from my post, of a family name.
Mr. David, I cannot here even begin to explain to you how dismaying it would be to
learn that you have instructed you site to filter all messages that include a surname beginning with “Sch” and ending in “feld”.
Best wishes to you.
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Update 1:
Jack Bowman // October 1, 2009 at 6:18 PM
Now, that was magic. Mr. David. You simply made my two posts on your blog disappear. Brilliant. Perhaps not too bright. But brilliant sleight of hand. Kudos to you.
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Update 2:
Jack Bowman // October 1, 2009 at 6:22 PM
Mr. David,
I think it’s not offensive to add that every single day that you choose to publish Mr. Negroman’s repugnant views and censor mine, Mr. Negroman will be my hobby.
All best wishes to you.
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
JB, did you see this?
Expose The Hypocrisy
September 27, 2009 at 2:36 pm
There has been much made, recently, by certain individuals at BU about “freedom of speech” and unfettered discussion no matter how offensive or inaccurate that speech may be. Many of those same individuals took it very personally when BFP chose to remove BU from it’s sidebar. I would like those individuals to take a look at this comment posted by the host of BU, when the decision was made to remove “Notes From The Margin” from BU’s sidebar.
David/ March 12, 2008 at 6:47 AM
“Sam Gamgee we understand that your comment may be nothing more than to engender strife. We delisted notes on the margin because he has blogs in his sidebar which are owned by someone who threatened the life of Adrian Loveridge and also who were very abusive on the BFP and BU blogs during the elections period. Please do not hide the facts.There is one thing for notes in the margin to encourage freedom of expression but at BU we also believe in standing up against what is wrong.”
Now, what is at issue here, is not the reasons for David “delisting” Notes From The Margin but the very last sentence of his statement. Just how did David arrive at HIS definition of “wrong” as compared to anyone else’s definition of “wrong”. Is BFP’s definition of “wrong” not as worthy of BU’s definition of “wrong”? BFP and many of it’s readers thought that calling a white Canadian woman, who was murdered, while on vacation in Babados, “white trash” was “WRONG” and therefore made the decision to remove BU from it’s sidebar. Is anyone else here seeing the hypocrisy and how the definition of “free speech” vacillates from day to day?
I agree with you, Reality Check, the media and government could have shown themselves to be responsible and caring by reporting on the search for the guilty party. It must have been awful for the widow to feel like the case was ignored, at an already difficult time.
Pingback: Guilty plea in killing of Canadian tourist Terry Schwarzfeld raises official hopes that the story will now go away « Barbados Free Press