By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A TEENAGE girl in Abaco was allegedly sexually assaulted in one of the government-issued RV trailers located next to the Marsh Harbour government complex, amid growing concerns about illegal activities taking place in the temporary housing units.

Police did not publicly disclose the alleged assault — reportedly committed on Saturday — in their daily press reports.

However, Chief Superintendent Michael Thurston, officer in charge of the Abaco Division, confirmed that a complaint had been filed and said a suspect was in custody.

The incident has intensified concerns among residents living in the RVs, many of whom say the area has become a hotspot for criminal activity.

Some residents claim the trailers, which were originally intended for government employees after Hurricane Dorian, are being occupied by people not authorised to occupy them.

There are also reports that some units are now being rented out for profit –– echoing similar claims made about the government dome housing sites established after Hurricane Dorian.

“It’s getting out of hand now and I don’t feel safe,” said one long-time resident, requesting anonymity. “The police are there and have an office in the complex but it’s just like they aren’t there.”

He said that on the night of the alleged assault, he heard commotion coming from the area but chose not to investigate.

The resident described the area as a hub for criminal activity, claiming that disturbances continue late into the night and into the early morning, disrupting sleep activity.

“It sounds like traffic like when you moving on a highway,” he said.

The Dorian survivor said he was approached by a woman who claimed she had seen a man wanted for murder — featured on a police poster — frequently walking through the area.

“She said she saw this guy constantly walking through there checking somebody because I tell you they don’t even know who they have in the back there,” he said.

Nowadays, the resident said he doesn’t even recognize the people occupying the trailers, adding that many of the original residents had long since moved on.

When contacted yesterday, both Disaster Risk Management Authority (DRMA) Executive Chairman Alex Storr and area MP John Pinder acknowledged receiving complaints about illegal activities taking place in the RV trailers.

Mr Storr said an assessment is currently underway to determine who is occupying the units and whether they are authorised to be there.

“We’ve heard all kind of rumors so what we were actually doing is an audit to ascertain exactly who is in those trailers,” he said.

Last year, residents were given an October deadline to vacate the trailers, prompting pushback from some who said they had nowhere else to go.

Yesterday, Mr Storr explained that the delay in enforcement was due to coordination with other agencies to determine how best to assist affected residents.

“It’s not because of any pushback,” he said, “It’s because we wanted to do it properly and make sure give residents a chance to put their best foot forward.”

Officials were unable to provide an exact estimate of how many families are living in the trailers, but area MP John Pinder said there are over 50 trailers on site, most of which are occupied by families.

Mr Pinder said there is no firm timeline on when residents will be required to vacate the trailers, but stressed that officials hope to resolve the issue soon — especially with hurricane season approaching.

“I know that the activity is there is not all legal and they need to be mobilised and moved out as quickly as possible,” the Abaco MP said.

Mr Storr agreed that the situation must be addressed with urgency, noting that the trailers have outlived their intended use and now pose safety hazards.