By Lincoln DePradine

The incident Wednesday evening in St George’s, where Grenada’s World Champion javelin thrower, Anderson Peters, was seen on video being beaten by a group of men, is being played out on several levels. 

While police are gathering information that may lead to charges against the men, the actions of the alleged perpetrators are being condemned, and many angry Grenadians – at home and abroad – are demanding reprisal.

As nationals await “the legal system to do its duty, we trust that justice will be served, that the magnitude of the punishments meted out will be correspondent to the wounds, physical and psychological inflicted’’ on Peters, said sports promoter Dexter Mitchell. He added that Grenadians “remain at war’’ over the incident.

Following the incident aboard the “Harbour Master’’, which was in Grenada for carnival cruise activities, Peters was taken to the General Hospital, treated and released.

Five crew members, said to be Trinidadians, were detained for questioning by Grenada police.

“Like the rest of the nation, we call for a full and speedy investigation into the incident,’’ the Spicemas Corporation (SMC) said in a statement.

SMC said it’s “dismayed and disturbed’’ at the incident. “What’s depicted in the videos seems excessive and is an affront to all Grenadians’’.

Peters is a member of the St David’s Track Blazers sports club, which says it “vehemently reproves such treatment of one of Grenada’s most successful athletes, but more so such treatment being meted out to a human being. Rest assured that we will support Anderson and his family throughout this ordeal and will continue to provide emotional, physical, and physiological support’’.

For its part, the Grenada Athletic Association (GAA) says it “strongly condemns the alleged assault on Grenada’s double World Champion, Mr. Anderson Peters’’.

According to GAA, what was done to Peters was “inhumane and brutal and should not be imposed upon any human being. Further, we admonish the authorities to ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted and that the full extent of the law is justly executed. Additionally, we call for some level of assistance to our national treasures in dealing with situations like these to assist in averting of similar occurrences in the future. The GAA extends God’s blessings to Anderson Peters and his family and wishes him a speedy recovery’’.

Attorney Derick Sylvester has been retained by Peters and his family as their legal counsel. He’s expected to file a civil lawsuit, on their behalf.

Peters recently returned to Grenada after winning his second consecutive men’s World Championship javelin title in the United States; and also capturing the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

He was met on arrival at Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport by a welcoming party that included Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and Sports Minister Ron Redhead.