Hi Everyone ... Just got home and have not had time to even sit down and reflect on what has really happened to us and how lucky i am that Kim is still alive and ok .. once we settle down at home we will tell our whole story .Sadly on our first morning of our honeymoon after i had left our villa to go to Baywatch at 630am and Kim was at home working out someone broke the sliding door open and entered our villa grabbing Kim and forcing her into the bedroom demanding cash or he would rape and kill her . after a struggle in the bedroom Kim was able to escape and run out of the villa screaming for help... the attacker fled but returned seconds later and upon her screams a worker at the next villa heard her and came running to help her ...i got a call at Baywatch that all of this had just happened . Thank god Kim is a stronger person than i ever thought or she could have been seriously hurt , i am hoping she recovers mentally from this with out too much damage .. We moved out of the villa in a hour and were moved into the Alamanda for the rest of the trip, Alan at the Alamanda took good care of us and we owe him a huge thanks for making Kim feel safe there .... Plenty more of this i will tell about once we settle things down at home ....Unless things change we don't know if we can ever return to the island . MORE LATER....

Bruce, I posted on TTOL about how sorry I was. Yea, you made me break my silence on TTOL.
I don't know what to say.
I am horrified of course.
I am so glad nothing more serious happened to Kim.
I never met her but she must be one tough lady.
I can imagine how traumatized you both must be.
I hope with time you can put this behind you.
to hear you say you don't know if you will ever return to the island..well, that just blows me away.
I don't blame you..I completely understand. but to hear it from you..you who loves this place like it's home..you who made so many friends here..you who have helped so many people and so many animals here....you who always were a voice of reason when others were badmouthing the place....you may never return?
some a-holes in a split second can make the difference.
I hate it that those a-holes are winning.
It scares me that those a-holes are winning.
I hope something changes for the better here and soon.
In the meantime, take care of each other and count your blessings that it wasn't worse.
.

[barcann.livejournal.com]

Wow !!! Bruce my thoughts are with you and your wife Kim ! I received several PM today regarding this terrible and disgusting agression that you were victim... I am speechless! My sister and her family encoutered pretty much the same in their Orient Bay home at 2am few weeks ago. Thanksfully, like in your case nobody was hurt, but I can relate to the anger and trauma it could cause since William and I were also victim few years ago in our house in Pelican with an armed roberry at 4am.
I know Alan at the Alamanda and I am glad he could help you of his best he could.
I really from the deepest of my heart wish you the best recovery, specially for Kim, she will certainly need some time. It is not easy for sure.
I fully understand your legitimate reluctance to come back down here after something like that.

Kind Regards,
Philippe



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Again Bruce, I am so sorry to hear about this horrible encounter. But as callous or cold this may sound to some, I would seriously recommend that both of you seek emotional support as soon as possible. Whether it be on-line or through face to face counseling, the sooner you let go of this offense to your minds and body, the sooner the healing will come. Kim, especially, needs to release this and allow herself to heal. Fear can be overcome but does not come without help.

But whatever it takes to overcome this, remember that you have many supporters out there to help in a moment's notice, just like you did when supporting the cause for all those small, innocent, and forgotten souls crying out for help.

Vicki

[www.vrbo.com]

Life is not a child's game of follow the Leader. Instead, life is more about finding one's own purpose in life....your life's plan, and then making a positive difference on earth.

Bruce - as I said to Barbara in an email, I have been sick all day after I read your post. And after 25 years of visiting, I'm starting to second guess our choices in vacation. I head back in November, I was nervous in April, and all was well. But this just isn't sitting well. It's not wrong place wrong time, or out real late, or tossing money or jewelry about. This was not something that couldn't have been foreseen. I'm just glad that your wife is physically okay. Not sure if I would have been so strong and able to stay on the island after that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2008 09:24PM by kim.

Thanks everyone ... Kim and i never knew she was capable of doing what she needed to do and did.. i told her how proud i am of her and that meant the most to her to hear those words from my mouth she said.. Kim is overwhelmed by the support people have shown for someone they dint' even know ...utterly amazing is all we can say .. the people who have posted are the best healing medicine we can get ...thank you all so much

Philippe & Barbara thanks so much i know how this hurts everyone..
our email
Heybrucehere@aol.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2008 09:58PM by .Bruce.

I guess you never know how you will react in an emergency until you are faced with it.
Kim is a strong brave woman.
I hope she and you too, Bruce, quickly heal from this.

[barcann.livejournal.com]

Bruce,
How absolutely horrid. Our thoughts are with you and Kim.
Peace
irina

that she was robbed at gunpoint, this afternoon just a few hours ago at her dentist's office in Cay Hill.
Police were called, they took a report and told B that they are overwhelmed and cannot keep up.
She is fine, no one was harmed.
2 perps, SXM fellas, one machete and one guy. Faces covered.
That is all the information I have.
Sadly
irina

Dear Lord, when is this all going to stop? Not until gov't authorities do something about it. More police presence.....even drive-bys in the neighborhoods during the night. Police presence is a deterrent. At this rate SXM is going to be hurting financially, which could cause more crime. The never ending circle. However, with more policing, crime could be curbed. This is putting a cramp in my travelling to SXM BIG TIME! We're re-thinking our February vacation.......

Contessa

Barbara I am so sorry you had this experience. My thoughts are with you.

contessa Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dear Lord, when is this all going to stop? We're
> re-thinking our February vacation.......
>
> Contessa

Unfortunately, it isnt going to stop. Not right away anyway. What will help it to stop quicker? Stop going there. I feel bad that the many good people of SXM will be affected, but maybe it will be quicker for it to happen this way, then to wait until someone decides to do something. I too, will be looking for another vacation spot this year.

Bruce and Kim's horror story has made the front page of today's Daily Herald.
Headlines read: "Tourist couple traumatised by attempted rape, robbery"

[barcann.livejournal.com]

What's very good about this is that tourists (as well as residents) will see the headlines as they pass by the newspaper stand and take necessary precautions instead of thinking that the island is crime free. Some people just think that they can do as they please while on vacation and the sad reality is that this is so not true. I have known this for as many years as I have been traveling to the island but it's obvious by watching people and how they act that these select people are clueless.

This is not to say that Bruce and Kim did not take necessary precautions because they did. The sliding door was locked according to Bruce. But these are circumstances that unfortunately they could never foresee, same as being home and someone breaking in. I am talking about all those that flash their money and jewelry, roam the streets late at night, walk where there is "supposedly" no one, and accept rides or buy drugs from strangers, or befriend strangers with no prior knowledge of their past history. Being on vacation never meant that crime is on vacation as well.

Thank you Barbara for letting us know that the victims are being heard by someone and are now being read by many. The government cannot hide their heads in the sand when all around them there will be people with shovels ready to dig their heads out.

[www.vrbo.com]

Life is not a child's game of follow the Leader. Instead, life is more about finding one's own purpose in life....your life's plan, and then making a positive difference on earth.

Unfortunatly, I beleive it is genetic "birth defect" in governement to hide their head in the sand.. I don't think an article (or few...) will make them changing their attitude... While speaking on the phone with Barbara, we came to a conclusion..: They will move thei a** only when one of them will be a victim. But this is not close to happen since they all live in Fortress and drive armored Hummer or SUVs...

Kind Regards,
Philippe



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