Mullaney murders, how safe is the Caribbean

The appalling murder of the Mullaneys on their honeymoon in Antigua has prompted many cruise passengers to reconsider their Caribbean holidays. More than 42 million people travel to the Caribbean annually – 22 million of them staying in resorts and an additional 20 million visiting as part of a cruise, and nearly always they have peaceful and happy holidays. However, it’s naïve to imagine that there aren’t problems: poverty is commonplace and those excellent gated complexes and beaches patrolled by security guards are there for a reason – crime. In addition, as the cruise and resort industry expands, more beaches are taken over by the holiday companies and as they used to be a public resource for fishermen etc, there can be a lot of resentment about the loss of income and public space. If you want to be safe, these islands are usually free of major crime: Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, St Vincent and the Grenadines and British Virgin Islands. The crime hotspot is Jamaica where murder is not unheard of, although most people will still experience a completely trouble free holiday – last year British visitors to Jamaica reported 125 lost or stolen passports and 120 drug-related offences – not exactly a hotbed of nastiness. But to be sure, take organised excursions, sit on patrolled beaches and don’t be out after dark.