The Plot to Nab a professional Rapist

After the commission of the offence Ralph E. Gonsalves is alleged to have committed, he suspected his professional colleague (professor at UWI Cave Hill) and victim was going to report the matter to the Barbados police. As a result of his confirmed suspicions, he (Ralph Gonsalves) went into hiding from the police. But why did the young lawyer and PhD. choose to go into hiding, if he did not commit an offense of some kind? He suspected and the rumors that reached to his ears, confirmed within his mind that a warrant for his arrest was issued by the Barbados police.


The revocation of Gonsalves' papers was a way of facilitating Gonsalves' arrest, because the authorities were unable to flush him out of the hole wherein he had so sheepishly took refuge. It was obvious that the young professor did not show up to work, where he may have been discreetly nab by the law.


The effort that was placed into apprehending Professor Ralph E. Gonsalves may have went down in the history of Barbados Law enforcement. Never before, had there been such a sting operation put in place, to apprehend a suspect that involved three separate government agencies (Police, Immigration and the Ministry of foreign affairs).


Note (The young lawyer and PhD. could not take the chance of being arrested after all, his career had just began. In that era, an arrest for any sexual allegation, would have made his doctorate useless. Added to that he may never have gotten the opportunity to be call to the bar. In Gonsalves’ head and in his future interest, it was highly important that he was not apprehended, charged, tried and found guilty for the crime he was alleged to have commit.


This would have meant the end of his professional career even before it began).
The Barbadian authorities were left with no alternative but to officially terminate the two lawful reasons, for him (Ralph E. Gonsalves) to remain on the island of Barbados; which was the revocation of his work permit and his residence. The Barbadian authority laid a well-planned trap, hoping that Mr. Gonsalves would take the opportunity to leave the island in the manner in which he so glamorously arrived.


Little that they knew, Gonsalves have been safe on the shores of the country of his birth. No heroic flight back to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, no mamma, papa, sister, brother and no friends at the airport to welcome him back, from his long trip aboard, which was the custom in that era. But a shameful disgraceful appearance at the house. I can imagine him pretending that he had planned a surprised trip back to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, just to surprise everyone. With the truth well hidden away, Ralph’s secret was safe. At lease that was what he thought.


But the word began to circulate that the young ambitious PhD. had his rights to live and work in Barbados revoke, he had to come up with an excuse. Meanwhile the University of the West Indies was trying it very best to ensure that this development did not get out and cause a scandal. The allegation of a professor initiated an on campus rape of a member of faculty. A scandal of this nature, could have destroyed the credibility the institution was in the process of building.


Ralph E. Gonsalves had to come up with any explanation, for his friends, associates and colleagues. Not Just any explanation; his explanation had to be extremely good if it was going to cut it. He had to come up with a master stroke (a big, dirty lie), if he was going to have an ounce of credibility remaining when it is all done. The police was very discreet about causing a scandal to protect the virtues of the “Professor” who was the victim. After all she have to stand before the class and instruct hundreds of higher education seekers. There was also the government of Barbados who wanted to protect the reputation of the institution (the UWI Cave Hill campus). For Barbados, education tourism was and still is a big thing. in this era, rape was total taboo and such a public scandal even for a victim, could have end the career of this brilliant woman.