Senator Annick Petrus tied up, gagged, and held at gunpoint in her Saint-Martin home

The attack

Senator Annick Petrus, 65, was assaulted in her home on the French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday. Armed individuals entered the residence, threatened her with a firearm, then tied her up, gagged her, and held her against her will. The senator, a member of the Les Républicains party and former vice-president of the Collectivity of Saint-Martin, described the events on her Facebook page.

Last night, armed individuals broke into my home. Under threat of a firearm, I was held, tied up, and gagged.

She added that she was "safe and sound" and that her health was "fortunately reassuring," while insisting the attack would not deter her from her public role.

This attack will not call into question my commitment to serving Saint-Martin and its residents.

Investigation and security response

The public prosecutor's office in Basse-Terre, which has jurisdiction over Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy, has opened an investigation. The prefecture confirmed the facts to Agence France-Presse and announced that a reinforced security detail by the gendarmerie would be deployed at the senator's home in the coming days. No arrests have been reported so far.

Crime context on the island

Authorities reiterated their concern over the high level of criminality and the proliferation of firearms on Saint-Martin, an island split between a French northern part and a Dutch southern part. The attack on a sitting senator underscores the security challenges facing the territory, where armed home invasions have become more frequent.