An American teen is facing significant jail time in the Cayman Islands for violating quarantine requirements. I first wrote about this yesterday when her sentence was increased, though in the meantime her sentence has been reduced, so let’s go over the details of this interesting story.
In this post:
18-year-old jailed for quarantine violation
18-year-old American Skylar Mack from Georgia had been sentenced to four months in jail in the Cayman Islands for violating quarantine policies, though yesterday had that sentence reduced to two months. The Cayman Islands requires Americans to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, with no option to skip the quarantine with testing.
The teen arrived in the Cayman Islands on November 27, 2020, and had tested negative for coronavirus both before and after travel. She was there to see her 24-year-old boyfriend, Vanjae Ramgeet, compete in a jet ski event. He’s a resident of the Cayman Islands, and has been charged with aiding and abetting her.
Two days after arriving in the Cayman Islands she left her electronic tracking bracelet behind, and went to the event for seven hours, where she allegedly didn’t observe social distancing or mask requirements.
Cayman Islands’ intentionally harsh punishment
The couple pleaded guilty to disobeying COVID-19 restrictions, and initially both were sentenced to 40 hours of community service and a $2,600 fine.
However, a prosecutor pushed for a harsher sentence, suggesting that the lighter sentence wouldn’t deter others from repeating these mistakes. The judge stated that the couple made these choices out of “selfishness and arrogance.”
Interestingly a day before the jet ski event, the Cayman Islands had increased potential punishment for COVID-19 breaches:
- The maximum punishment used to be up to one year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine
- The maximum punishment is now up to two years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine
Mack was then sentenced to four months in prison, which was still less than the new maximum penalty, but obviously still harsh.
However, yesterday an appeals court decreased that sentence to two months. Mack’s attorney said the following in a statement following this decision:
“Whilst it was our hope that Skylar would be able to return home to resume her studies in January, we accept the decision of the court and look forward to receiving its written reasons in due course.”
Teen’s family asked President Trump for help
This week Mack’s family asked President Trump to intervene. As the teen’s grandmother explained:
“She just wants to come home. She knows she made a mistake, she owns to up to that, but she’s pretty hysterical right now.”
Apparently President Trump’s office wrote back to state that the request would be forwarded to the appropriate federal agency. It remains to be seen if there’s any chance of the sentence being reduced further, or if the reduced two month sentence factors in any pressure that there may have been.
Should we be sympathetic here?
My initial instinct here is to not be very sympathetic, to maybe think she got what she deserved, even if the punishment is harsh. And while I don’t not feel that way, I do think there are a couple of further points to be made, which hopefully others can learn from.
First of all, we see quarantine requirements all over the world right now, though enforcement is so inconsistent. For example, places like Australia, New Zealand, and (apparently) the Cayman Islands, have very strict enforcement. Meanwhile places like New York and the UK theoretically have quarantine requirements, but barely enforce them. If I had a dollar for every person I’ve seen violate them, I’d write myself a stimulus check (which would cover a few weeks of health insurance, yay!).
While she was obviously wrong for what she did, I can also see how a teen could come to the conclusion “my friend went to New York recently violating quarantine, so I can do it too.” Obviously that didn’t end well, and one should also be extra careful when traveling to a foreign country.
This also fails to consider that the Cayman Islands actually enforces its quarantine requirements, and clearly this was all premeditated:
- When you arrive in the Cayman Islands you have to sign a document agreeing to observe the quarantine
- You’re given a tracking bracelet, and she intentionally left this behind to violate her quarantine
My other question is whether no one made her aware of how her plan wasn’t a good idea? 18-year-olds can make bad decisions. I certainly know I made my fair share of them. With that in mind:
- Did she discuss this international trip with her family, and if so, did they just not know about the quarantine requirement, or were they fine with her skipping this? Did they realize the potential punishment?
- If her boyfriend is a resident of the Cayman Islands, did he not know about the strict requirements, or why did he think this was a decent idea?
- Was her initial trip planned to be less than two weeks, and if so, was she asked at immigration (and beyond) whether she was coming just to quarantine, and nothing else? If so, did she lie and say yes, or…?
An 18-year-old made a bad, irresponsible, and selfish decision here. Months in jail is a massive punishment that’s arguably too harsh. I’m sure a week (or even a night) in jail would cause her to never make this mistake again.
That being said, I don’t think the prosecutor is wrong, and it’s not like she was violating quarantine in New York or London, where there are no signs of enforcement. She was literally given a tracking bracelet that she chose to take off — she knew exactly what she was doing.
Bottom line
An American teen is facing a jail sentence in the Cayman Islands for violating the 14-day quarantine requirement. She ditched her bracelet to watch her boyfriend compete in a jet ski event for seven hours. While her initial sentence was for four months in jail, that has since been reduced to two months.
I can’t blame the Cayman Islands for wanting to make an example of her, and I’m also curious to see if the sentence might be reduced further.
What do you make of this situation? Is the reduced two month sentence too harsh, or just right?
https://www.loopcayman.com/content/why-so-many-caymanians-dont-feel-sorry-skylar-mack
The attached article provides the facts and not speculation. Skylar Mack will be released from prison on 15th January. No pardon was granted. She will be taken from prison to the airport where she will be placed on a flight and deported from the Cayman Islands.
I think the 2 months for this child is good. Hopefully, from here on in, where ever she goes and does, she will make herself aware of what the rules are....she knew the rules here, she was given a tracking bracelet, she took it off, she knew what the consequences would be. No crying over spilt milk child...do the crime, do the time.
Regardless of whether or not I believe the punishment was justified, I have sympathy for the girl. I'm sympathetic because I make mistakes every. single. day. In my youth, I made errors in judgements that I thank the Lord I didn't get caught or hurt someone. So...regardless of her nationality or race or gender, I believe I would feel the same way. What surprises me most about all of the comments on this thread is...
Regardless of whether or not I believe the punishment was justified, I have sympathy for the girl. I'm sympathetic because I make mistakes every. single. day. In my youth, I made errors in judgements that I thank the Lord I didn't get caught or hurt someone. So...regardless of her nationality or race or gender, I believe I would feel the same way. What surprises me most about all of the comments on this thread is the viciousness of tone in reference to white Americans. It makes me wonder how many people are really giving their opinion on the actual offense or does it say more about their prejudice against Americans and especially white people from America. I can only imagine how horrific the comments would be if it were a white, male, American who was also from a family of wealth! Yikes! I am a proud American woman of color. Most of us Americans aren't nearly as bad as we are portrayed. Like the rest of the world, we've got some bad eggs but good ones, too. Happy New Year! Sending lots of positive vibes and prayers upward for an amazing 2021!
I cannot get over the fact that her parents let their 18 year old daughter fly to another country to meet a young man that's 6 years older than her. My, my now that speaks volume about them. Yes, she's young and of course going to think the way a young teenager think that it doesn't matter. But at the end of the day, she was not grown and still living with her parents. Who...
I cannot get over the fact that her parents let their 18 year old daughter fly to another country to meet a young man that's 6 years older than her. My, my now that speaks volume about them. Yes, she's young and of course going to think the way a young teenager think that it doesn't matter. But at the end of the day, she was not grown and still living with her parents. Who doesn't see it's a problem for their 18 year old to fly to a foreign country to spend time with this young man. I blame the parents on this one. Yes, I said it and mean it. It's the parent fault for letting their underage daughter go to another country to meet up with a young man. Too many factors that can go to the left.
She got exactly what she deserves.
When you go to Rome, you ought to behave like the Romans.
Her decision to lave the tracking device behind was very calculated. When she made the decision she knew what the penalties were.
Worst yet, she never did not even bother to observe the social distancing protocols. It's behaviours like hers are the very reasons why this virus has become hard to control.
You did the crime. Pay the time.
Nuff said.
@Richard: no need to worry, the USA is making it hard for anyone to shame any other country but theirs for centuries to come. Amazing how low it has gone in four years but boy is it going down in flames in the last week. How low can it go? As low as he can take them. They can match you and raise you on just the pardons in the last 48 hours.
Hypocrisy: I am from the Cayman Islands and I am totally against this stupid embarrassing decisions. Okay, Cayman Islands land of my birth so you've got your 15 minutes of stupid fame, but you see years from now, we all will hang our heads in shame.
Question: Who are you trying to impress. '' Oh perfect Caribbean Islands''? Let me guess the world elites? Well darling there are the same ones fucking up the...
Hypocrisy: I am from the Cayman Islands and I am totally against this stupid embarrassing decisions. Okay, Cayman Islands land of my birth so you've got your 15 minutes of stupid fame, but you see years from now, we all will hang our heads in shame.
Question: Who are you trying to impress. '' Oh perfect Caribbean Islands''? Let me guess the world elites? Well darling there are the same ones fucking up the Cayman Islands right now. And who you should throw in jail you are not. We have child abusers, murders thieves bushing shoulder to shoulder-walking free. And a week later the Speaker of parliament walks free for assaulting a woman. HYPOCRISY!
The punishment does not fit the transgression.
This is all to show-off to the world. Dragging the child up and down like she kill somebody. Cayman courts should have tread their waters more carefully. This 15- mins of fame will ends in a lifetime of shame, it will come back and haunt us; the big bad world is very vindictive.
Finally Cayman Islands you won an international race; cross the finished lined first, but guess what- you were the only one running.
"An American teen is facing significant jail time in the Cayman Islands for violating quarantine requirements."
Good.
The amount of people who are sympathetic to the teen explains exactly why the US is having 200k plus confirmed cases each day.
Right, you can go and potentially spread the virus that will spread and kill many innocent people who don't even know, damage families, and that sounds ok, but 4 month in jail is too much and the President should save your a**.
America never disappoints.
@Mick: how cruel of you. You made my Christmas wine come out my nose I laughed so hard.
The people of the Cayman Islands and especially the government the Cayman Islands have a very deep biased against Americans they let Canadian families and Japanese families do the same thing yet this one girl that happens to be from America gets the book thrown at her I rest my case they are biased racist a** holes against America And they will do anything to hurt Americans!
She is an American, she should get the exemption.
And the turtle said "Touche!"
The Caymans should have left it at 4 months.
Brian W - NOONE signed up for this you illiterate buffoon. People like you are the problem.
Based on her family response (seeking help from Trump, going on the news to complain about unfair treatment, etc.) I have a pretty good idea what type of family this is. And coming from Georgia, a state that doesn’t have a great track record of taking COVID-19 seriously (to say the least), I’m sure she thought they could take the same cavalier approach elsewhere without any consequences. 2 months is a bit steep, but hopefully the lesson will be learned.
@Geo
Regarding a jet ski competition being a thing, and questioning the young inamorato's prospects, I think that perhaps you overlooked that he is not just any jet skier but rather a "professional" jet ski racer. No doubt you will amend your assessment of him.
Seriously though, assuming that the family had knowledge and consent, why would these people have allowed their 18 yo daughter to fly to the Caymans during a pandemic, presumably...
@Geo
Regarding a jet ski competition being a thing, and questioning the young inamorato's prospects, I think that perhaps you overlooked that he is not just any jet skier but rather a "professional" jet ski racer. No doubt you will amend your assessment of him.
Seriously though, assuming that the family had knowledge and consent, why would these people have allowed their 18 yo daughter to fly to the Caymans during a pandemic, presumably knowing of quarantine restrictions plus risk of contracting virus, for an assignation with a 24 yo jet skier?
Wait... she cut off her ankle bracelet? The kind that sends an alert when it's been cut off? WTF did she expect to happen?
It's the stupidity that really bothers me.
College student, majoring in pre-med, intentionally breaks quarantine by removing the tracking device assigned to her upon arrival in a foreign country. Her actions placed the residents of an island nation with limited health care resources at risk due to her desire to attend a social event with her boyfriend and attend a sporting event where many locals were present.
If with all the global news attention to the pandemic, the explanation of quarantine upon...
College student, majoring in pre-med, intentionally breaks quarantine by removing the tracking device assigned to her upon arrival in a foreign country. Her actions placed the residents of an island nation with limited health care resources at risk due to her desire to attend a social event with her boyfriend and attend a sporting event where many locals were present.
If with all the global news attention to the pandemic, the explanation of quarantine upon arriving in the Caymans, and her intention to visit a resident who should know local law, wasn't enough to make her aware of the risks she was taking.... Then four months in jail isn't enough time to cure the stupidity.
Find a new career path because someone who has such disregard for health, safety and the basics of quarantine should not be admitted to medical school. Hopefully someone does a social media search when she applies because no spin on her application should get her licensed as a doctor.
I had a very long post written commenting on many points above. Although, I decided to not share that and I’ll state my view....... She knowingly violated law and she is an adult. She should be gracious that the maximum punishment was not applied. She deserves it. And just cause she tested negative for COVID, does not mean she might not have it Bc the incubation process. My opinion, the sentence was not harsh enough...
I had a very long post written commenting on many points above. Although, I decided to not share that and I’ll state my view....... She knowingly violated law and she is an adult. She should be gracious that the maximum punishment was not applied. She deserves it. And just cause she tested negative for COVID, does not mean she might not have it Bc the incubation process. My opinion, the sentence was not harsh enough for blatantly breaking the law which she had to be aware of and this was premeditated. If it was such a big deal, she should have left 12 days earlier. Watch when it comes out that her classes are virtual. Her blatant disregard is sickening. I hope she is rejected to be in the medical field. Funny though, she will somehow make a mini fortune off this. And it sad the USA media is covering this, we have much larger issues than an 18 year old that knowingly violate the law. Hello unemployed and small businesses losing everything. And if she didn’t know the law, restrictions, declaration she signed etc etc. she would be the last person on earth I would want too have look after me medically. She deserves it all and she should have received more.
Seems the girl has become an Internet celebrity and surely a book and movie deal will follow. The meanness of the people of Grand Cayman is legendary - as anyone who has ever heard of the Wreck of the Ten Sail can attest. No doubt Skylar and her boyfriend are now doing forced prison labor in one of those notorious rum cake factories.
Blame the true idiots: the celebrities and those who worship them. "Rules for thee, not for me". Girls (and guys) are seeing all of their favorite actors, musicians, and (wait for it........) internet personalities/influencers still travel the world.
Anyone with half a brain can look at the instagram account of one of these people and see that they don't follow any of the rules. They'll fly to London on a Friday and then post...
Blame the true idiots: the celebrities and those who worship them. "Rules for thee, not for me". Girls (and guys) are seeing all of their favorite actors, musicians, and (wait for it........) internet personalities/influencers still travel the world.
Anyone with half a brain can look at the instagram account of one of these people and see that they don't follow any of the rules. They'll fly to London on a Friday and then post photos out on Sunday. All of this just to hook up with someone, get their hair done by their favorite salon, or go shopping.
Of course, the average person sees this behavior and then assumes it's normal/acceptable. The difference is that the average person gets arrested and thrown in jail like this girl did.
@Brian W
Cue the worlds smallest violin for you because you can’t “party”
Grow up.
Coming from a nation where peace is a joke isn't a purpose behind her to disregard laws in different nations. Reprimanding the practically non-enforceable isolate arrangements in the US is a certain something, however, blaming this so as to legitimize what she did is plain idiocy.
Ben, are you an airline/travel blog or a gossip site? Please, please focus on actual stories; appreciate they’re thin on the ground right now but please don’t lose the great site you’ve built.
She should be jailed just for having a dopy name like Skylar!
Seriously though, she sounds like an entitled princess (what average teen pops off to the Caymans to see her somewhat older boyfriend compete in a jet-ski event?) who knew what she was doing and thought she'd get away with it.
Do the crime, do the time.
Donald is too busy excusing and pardoning heavy-duty criminals to be bothered with your minor snafu in some foreign beach paradise.
No sympathy. She is a spoiled entitled brat. She intentionally removed her tracking band, so you cannot compare this with someone who is breaking the quarantine in order to get a burger in NYC. And her grandmother should be thankful that her grand daughter will hopefully learn a lesson, become more responsible and care more about her grandmother's life!
These kids are all brought up to have self-esteem and trophies for participation. Moronic!
18 years old enlist in the military
She is an adult by law and needs to suffer the consequences of her stupid behavior
No sympathy
@Stephen - 'Let’s throw these hooligans out of power and create a new safer place for American teenagers to vacation to.' Yes you can do regime change, but 'these hooligans' would be the British Governor of the Cayman Islands. You seriously want to commit an act of war against the United Kingdom?
Zero sympathy. She knew what she was doing and hedging that she wouldn't get caught. It's not like she snuck out so the family is aware too. Everything planned without care or regard. If she is "owning" up as the mom suggests then own the punishment. To suggest 4 months is harsh but 1 is not is silly. To me there is no differenc. Imo she was very fortunate to only get 2 months. Just...
Zero sympathy. She knew what she was doing and hedging that she wouldn't get caught. It's not like she snuck out so the family is aware too. Everything planned without care or regard. If she is "owning" up as the mom suggests then own the punishment. To suggest 4 months is harsh but 1 is not is silly. To me there is no differenc. Imo she was very fortunate to only get 2 months. Just suck it up girl. Can't be teaching them that if you whine hard enough you'll get your way. Family should pay administrative costs too.
Her noncompliance with the law was premeditated. 2 months in jail seem pretty adequate. She can contemplate and grow up. All this aproar reminds me of a young American captured in Singapore spraying graffiti. He got a few lashes. That was educational.
"Should we be sympathetic here?" Umm no. I really don't even understand why you are asking this question. There are not two sides to every story. Not everything is some sort of great struggle to decide what is right or wrong. It is very clear that she was WRONG. Jail is a perfectly fine place for someone who goes to a foreign country and intentionally breaks their laws. She wasn't mistaken. She signed the agreement...
"Should we be sympathetic here?" Umm no. I really don't even understand why you are asking this question. There are not two sides to every story. Not everything is some sort of great struggle to decide what is right or wrong. It is very clear that she was WRONG. Jail is a perfectly fine place for someone who goes to a foreign country and intentionally breaks their laws. She wasn't mistaken. She signed the agreement about the terms of the quarantine. She actually intentionally got fitted with a looser bracelet so she could violate the quarantine. She left the monitoring bracelet behind. Not only that when they arrived to pick her up she was not social distancing and was not wearing a mask. This was willful and done with full knowledge. Also, with a two month sentence she isn't serving two months. She will be released after she has completed 60% of her sentence. Given the amount of time she has in she has like another two weeks to go or so, which seems quite reasonable unless they want a hoard of covidiot americans flooding their country and infecting the population.
What the hell difference does it make what NY does? She isn't from there and that isn't where she was going. By the way you may like to know that NYC is now serving out of state (non-contiguous) and out of country travelers with mandatory quarantine orders. People coming from the UK are being personally served and will be checked during their quarantine time to make sure they are abiding by quarantine.
It is people like her that blatantly disobey the rules that have caused these 14 day quarantines to be instituted. It's worse in Australia, no more home quarantine, they force international arrivals into hotel quarantine for 14 days and charge you $3000. And all because of people like her! People who were prepared to follow the rules and stay home for 14 days now have this outrageous burden through no fault of their own. I...
It is people like her that blatantly disobey the rules that have caused these 14 day quarantines to be instituted. It's worse in Australia, no more home quarantine, they force international arrivals into hotel quarantine for 14 days and charge you $3000. And all because of people like her! People who were prepared to follow the rules and stay home for 14 days now have this outrageous burden through no fault of their own. I think make an example of her, give her a year at least! Then others will be deterred.
"Jet ski competition" is a thing? She picked a young man with great prospects...
Her grasp of what a pandemic means is illustrated by her multiple risky behaviours. Flying as a tourist into a lower risk area, cutting off the bracelet, going to a presumably crowded t without distancing or using a mask?
Adults need to adult. Their islands, their people both at risk from tourists and dependent on them. Their laws.
If all countries had been strict, we would not be in this mess.
She went to see her boyfriend jet ski, and I assume between her and her older boyfriend they knew there was a quarantine. So, the planned intention from the start was to violate the law.
So is 1/6 of the max sentence too severe? Is that up to those outside the Cayman Islands to say, or when we choose to visit a nation do we agree to respect their laws?
I haven't seen any mention of it, but I hope part of the deal is a permanent ban from the Cayman Islands.
Americans like this are why we've had 322,000 dead in less than a year. She should serve her entire sentence. She's not a child, so stop referring to her as a teenager. She's an adult and should be treated as such.
Looking at the graphs on Worldometers it is obvious that Florida is doing much better than Germany or California. Go there and look at the graphs. Ron DiSantis is doing a much better job than Angela Merkel or Gavin Newsom. And I thought that Germany was doing so much better than we were?
Looks like there's been some updates here (at least according to CBS):
- Skylar seems to be 21, not 18 (still young, but not *that* young)
- Her sentence was reduced to 2 mos. from 4 mos.
It really makes is seem like she lumped through some hoops to skip quarantine
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/skylar-mack-sentence-reduced-cayman-islands/?__twitter_impression=true
The real culprits in this are the parents. They most likely financed and encouraged the whole enterprise.
oh boo hoo. . .you didn't follow the rules and now you want Mommy, Daddy and Trump to fix it. GROW UP, when you travel you follow the rules of the country your in (maybe we need people in this country to remember that here too). Enjoy jail and maybe people need to understand the COVID kills more than 3% of those infected and those who recover have a long list of health issues to...
oh boo hoo. . .you didn't follow the rules and now you want Mommy, Daddy and Trump to fix it. GROW UP, when you travel you follow the rules of the country your in (maybe we need people in this country to remember that here too). Enjoy jail and maybe people need to understand the COVID kills more than 3% of those infected and those who recover have a long list of health issues to over come.
WAKE UP AMERICA. . .Wearing a mask and following the CDC guidelines will protect you and your family, save lives.
Yes the sentence is overly harsh, but is an adult of legal age. Would we expect her to be let off for mugging an old lady in the street or vandalising a car as a prank. Answer is no. When you become an adult you have certain responsibilities. When you visit a foreign country, you are a guest as should remember that. Know the do’s and don’t in that country. Singapore will fine you for...
Yes the sentence is overly harsh, but is an adult of legal age. Would we expect her to be let off for mugging an old lady in the street or vandalising a car as a prank. Answer is no. When you become an adult you have certain responsibilities. When you visit a foreign country, you are a guest as should remember that. Know the do’s and don’t in that country. Singapore will fine you for chewing gum in public. Harsh yes. Sri Lanka will execute you for smuggling drugs. Harsh by any western legal system. Homosexuality is illegal in Zanzibar, carrying jail time. Very few people will think that reasonable. But those are the laws in that country. If you don’t agree with that country’s laws or punishment then don’t visit those countries. Travellers are not at home in a foreign country, so don’t expect the same customs and punishment. This isn’t even a matter of ignorance. She new she was breaking the law by removing an electronic tag. Do the crime be prepared to do the time, and stopping running to your own Governent to get you off the hook.
No sympathy! She is an adult if she can travel there she can obviously do the time. If 2020 has taught us anything is there is no consistency in justice sad but true always think I may get the stiffest penalty there is. I hope it sends a message! Actions have consequences always!
I would feel more sympathy for Cayman if every photo of the jail personnel didnt show their OWN personnel MASKLESS.
Practice what you preach, FIRST.
Now Ms Entitled should be given a 14 day jail stay then kicked off the island. At her expense. And not allowed back until this is under control.
Lock her up
Lock her up!!!
You white peoples think that you should get away with any and everything but you find out the same rules don’t apply when you enter other countries!!! :)))
Who in the hell CARES when the world is faced with so many other challenges, even if this was my own child, which it wouldn’t be because as a parent I would not have allowed him to go, but it was I would say to bad now do the time because you did the crime. The government shouldn’t get involved in this ever and make the parents or guardians held accountable for their own careless...
Who in the hell CARES when the world is faced with so many other challenges, even if this was my own child, which it wouldn’t be because as a parent I would not have allowed him to go, but it was I would say to bad now do the time because you did the crime. The government shouldn’t get involved in this ever and make the parents or guardians held accountable for their own careless decisions. They should have told this horny brat no! Absolutely not! Instead they allowed it so now you all suffer the consequences for your own bad actions and judgment. All we need is for the United States to go running interference with another country and telling them what they should do when the United States has so many other issues that they need to deal with like, COVID19!!!!
A lot of persons at age 18 think they know everything but in fact they know very little, it is surprising that her parent had no control over what she was doing at 18 flying from the USA to see a boyfriend take part in a JetSki race. Presumably she knew there was a 14 day quarantine period that had to be undertaken and that the event in question fell within that period, the same...
A lot of persons at age 18 think they know everything but in fact they know very little, it is surprising that her parent had no control over what she was doing at 18 flying from the USA to see a boyfriend take part in a JetSki race. Presumably she knew there was a 14 day quarantine period that had to be undertaken and that the event in question fell within that period, the same goes for the parents. My own opinion is she probably deserves whatever punishment the Cayman Authorities hand out and as stated by others she will regret this in many ways for the rest of her life. (not many USA companies like to employ convicted felons)It would seem that she considered being from USA ,she would not be punished, obviously forgetting she is in a foreign country with its own laws which have to be obeyed. Pleading to President Trump will not get her anywhere ,and to be cynical he has too many problems of his own and the next election is nearly 4 years away.
This is a classic case of a young person from one country thinking they can do what they want in a foreign country . It was happening all the time before Covid .
For example :
PRC Chinese tourists breaking health and safety laws in Europe .
Malaysians smuggling food into Australia .
Swedish tourists wearing no shirts in Spanish supermarkets ( against the law )
British tourists breaking religious...
This is a classic case of a young person from one country thinking they can do what they want in a foreign country . It was happening all the time before Covid .
For example :
PRC Chinese tourists breaking health and safety laws in Europe .
Malaysians smuggling food into Australia .
Swedish tourists wearing no shirts in Spanish supermarkets ( against the law )
British tourists breaking religious laws in Thailand .
People smuggling drugs into Singapore and Malaysia which have the death penalty for drug smuggling .
Some do it because they think, if it is allowed in my home country ,I can get away with it in another country .
Some do it out of ignorance .
Whatever the reason , people need to learn and respect other countries laws .
1. Cayman Islands, Australia, New Zealand, etc are NOT the United States. When will Americans learn sovereign nations WILL enforce their own laws? It’s time your sense of entitlement end.
2. She DELIBERATELY took off her tracking bracelet. That’s wilful defiance, it wasn’t a “mistake”.
3. It WAS jail for up to 1 year BEFORE the amendment. She’s fortunate to have had 4-months handed to her.
4. These conditions would’ve been communicated to her...
1. Cayman Islands, Australia, New Zealand, etc are NOT the United States. When will Americans learn sovereign nations WILL enforce their own laws? It’s time your sense of entitlement end.
2. She DELIBERATELY took off her tracking bracelet. That’s wilful defiance, it wasn’t a “mistake”.
3. It WAS jail for up to 1 year BEFORE the amendment. She’s fortunate to have had 4-months handed to her.
4. These conditions would’ve been communicated to her on ARRIVAL. She can’t plead ignorance either.
There are consequences for recklessly breaching pandemic rules. Suck it up
She's American, her rights travel with her...NOT!
@SullyofDoha haha, very good point
Her sentence was reduced on Tuesday to two months (instead of four).
Personally I would have kept it at four months. There were none extenuating, humanitarian reasons for violating quarantine. It’s not like she was there to see a dying relative or something like that. She was there to participate in a JetSki competition, or all lame excuses.
She’s going to pay the price for that mistake.
Considering we were getting $5,000 fines for going more than 5km from home (people for who there was no suggestion they had COVID, this was blanket), violating an actual direction to quarantine should be punished with jail time.
People are dying of this and the rest of us are suffering through restrictions etc., actions that individuals are taking like this (oh it’s only one person, it won’t matter), very much do matter.
It’s harsh yes,...
Considering we were getting $5,000 fines for going more than 5km from home (people for who there was no suggestion they had COVID, this was blanket), violating an actual direction to quarantine should be punished with jail time.
People are dying of this and the rest of us are suffering through restrictions etc., actions that individuals are taking like this (oh it’s only one person, it won’t matter), very much do matter.
It’s harsh yes, but then so’s the death penalty for having a small amount of drugs in Indonesia (for example). Them’s the rules.
Epic! She will have fantastic memories of her time at the jet ski competition and even better memories of her time being fed and housed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Cayman correctional facilities. Seriously, the real story is how this traveler was able to get four free months of room and housing in Cayman, I mean, do you know how expensive it would have been if she had to pay for all of that herself???
So she goes there with the intent of breaking the law. She removes the bracelet to avoid being caught. And now you selfish Americans feel she is unfairly punished. I feel she is getting off easy. If she had come in contact with a contagious person in the airport, in flights, or out partying (let’s not pretend the privileged teen had stayed inside up to this event) she could have continued the spread. But then...
So she goes there with the intent of breaking the law. She removes the bracelet to avoid being caught. And now you selfish Americans feel she is unfairly punished. I feel she is getting off easy. If she had come in contact with a contagious person in the airport, in flights, or out partying (let’s not pretend the privileged teen had stayed inside up to this event) she could have continued the spread. But then again, Americans could care less about those others dying every 40 seconds in what once was a country that mattered. Now at 3rd World status, not so much.
Agree that four months is a bit harsh, but equally agree that just the fine and community service is too light. There is a middle ground here. On the other hand, she broke the rules or laws in a foreign country, this is a reminder that we are still responsible under foreign laws when we visit somewhere. She should have planned for the quarantine.
As we're closing 2020 as the year where the highest number of Americans EVER lost their lives, Trump has a lot to learn from the Caymans.
I have zero sympathy for her. She broke the law.
She’s an adult not a child and needs to take responsibility for her decisions and accept the consequences.
She has access to the internet where she could have easily look up the rules and regulations. They aren’t hard to find.
She went to visit her boyfriend who lives on the island (and has been given the same punishment which he has apparently accepted with...
I have zero sympathy for her. She broke the law.
She’s an adult not a child and needs to take responsibility for her decisions and accept the consequences.
She has access to the internet where she could have easily look up the rules and regulations. They aren’t hard to find.
She went to visit her boyfriend who lives on the island (and has been given the same punishment which he has apparently accepted with out whining about it) and he should have been more than aware of the restrictions and told her what they were.
She had a proper trial and was represented by lawyers.
If this stops other idiots doing the same them the sentence has served its purpose. Which is to punish the law breaker and to serve as a warning to others not to break the law.
I think she should have been given the maximum. She had no regard for the lives of others and willfully did this. I wish laws like this were enforced in the USA. We have too damn many individuals who feel entitled and have no concern for others, which is why the USA leads the world in Covid infections and deaths.
Like many here, I have ZERO sympathy...having not seen family since January.. and unlikely to until mid 2021....
us responsible ones suffer for idiots like this ...
I cannot believe those speaking in her favour..... her family and her should be embarrased not entitled...
I think this is a story because she is a white girl. If she were not white, I doubt there would be a headline about this. The punishment is harsh, but it's also not as long as it could have been. The headline should be, white American broke the rules and got punished.
She's fortunate she didn't travel to Singapore or Malaysia carrying some quantity of drugs or she'd eventually find herself standing on the gallows, no tolerance in such places and nothing foreign politicians can do about it.
Travel is simple, one is extended the ability to visit country X courtesy of that country's government with the expectation that you'll obey their laws.
All the social media, media, or political chattering won't help.
@Finzi agree with you. "Cutting people slack" is why this whole thing is out of control. You want to travel internationally now you play by the rules with zero tolerance. She sounds like she should not have been let go to the potty without a minder.
...And really, appealing to the President of the United States because she willfully broke a nation/territory’s laws? She’s not exactly a national asset.
I agree with Jennifer from the Cayman’s. Everything this young woman did was pre-meditated. Is there some hint of “Institutionalized Racism” here; after all she is cute, smart, and attends a large southern university. That just makes her more dangerous. If I robbed a liquor store knowing it was wrong and against the prevailing laws can I use her defense? Oh please, why not? I didn’t use a weapon and I only wanted to see...
I agree with Jennifer from the Cayman’s. Everything this young woman did was pre-meditated. Is there some hint of “Institutionalized Racism” here; after all she is cute, smart, and attends a large southern university. That just makes her more dangerous. If I robbed a liquor store knowing it was wrong and against the prevailing laws can I use her defense? Oh please, why not? I didn’t use a weapon and I only wanted to see my girlfriend that worked there! It seemed romantic to me!
@Brian W
Cry me a river snowflake. Cannot see the friends,cannot party? You sound lile you lost ypu youth to Covid. What should say the generation 1914-1918 or 1939-1945?
Update: Her sentence has been reduced to two months in jail.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/world/americas/skylar-mack-cayman-islands-covid.html
Let me play my Stradivarius…
Maximum penalty !!!! If you can’t do the time don’t do the crime!!!
Zero sympathy for breaking quarantine rules. But it also doesn't help that the US has a joke of a quarantine system in place for incoming/returning travelers and also leads the world in cases.
The really sad part was the fact that this was pre-meditated on her part. She knew there was a 14 day quarantine period to be served and she knew when the date the water event was to be held. She obviously deliberately entered the country with no intention whatsoever of doing the 14 days, otherwise she would have entered the country 14 days PRIOR to the event.
120 days in jail equals 10 days...
The really sad part was the fact that this was pre-meditated on her part. She knew there was a 14 day quarantine period to be served and she knew when the date the water event was to be held. She obviously deliberately entered the country with no intention whatsoever of doing the 14 days, otherwise she would have entered the country 14 days PRIOR to the event.
120 days in jail equals 10 days jail for each day of quarantine violation. (she did do 2 days quarantine at least) PERFECT.
“An American teen....”. Sure, but she’s an adult. Using the word teen seems designed to garner sympathy for her. Adult is a more accurate term. As an adult she should be held fully responsible for her actions.
I agree with @ Jennifer and many others that reside in the Cayman Islands or have respect for them.......... Skylar was totally irresponsible and endangered the entire island population to see her boyfriend for a little me time!! Selfish little wench. Her boyfriend definitely knew penalties too because the competition organizers warned them all. He should be banned from competing for a year after he serves his sentence!
BTW, @ Brian W. you are as...
I agree with @ Jennifer and many others that reside in the Cayman Islands or have respect for them.......... Skylar was totally irresponsible and endangered the entire island population to see her boyfriend for a little me time!! Selfish little wench. Her boyfriend definitely knew penalties too because the competition organizers warned them all. He should be banned from competing for a year after he serves his sentence!
BTW, @ Brian W. you are as dumb and selfish as Skylar was. please do not reproduce!! Seriously. ;-)
In the end, the sentence was reduced to 2 months, which will teach her a big life leason and hopefully, grow up.
P.S. I hope they shave all prisoner's heads before they take mugshots... Hahahha that will teach her to mess with Caymanians!
Even though you mentioned it, I feel like the Jet Ski championship angle should be in the headline. Its the second time jet skis have resulted in someone getting locked up for breaking quarantine requirements in December. Just google the Scottish guy who jet skied to the Isle of Man, that Icarus mentioned.
Too bad she’s not in Singapore she would’ve gotten for lashes along with the four months no sympathy Americans disrespect other country’s laws and I hope they keep her locked up for the entire four months
The punishment is harsh but not too harsh. I would probably suggest 2 months but it is not my country and so my suggestion is just an estimate that may not be best suited for their country. It is their country and they get to decide what they think is an effective deterrent. Fines are not effective for people of means so you need some other deterrent and incarceration is good deterrent for most. Obviously...
The punishment is harsh but not too harsh. I would probably suggest 2 months but it is not my country and so my suggestion is just an estimate that may not be best suited for their country. It is their country and they get to decide what they think is an effective deterrent. Fines are not effective for people of means so you need some other deterrent and incarceration is good deterrent for most. Obviously a 14 day prison sentence is too short because any less and they would be short cutting the 14 day quarantine even if caught. so you need some multiple of 14 days to deter potential scofflaws.
4 months is not cruel nor unusual for this offense. Even though I would say it is slightly excessive I do not think it rises to the extent of getting the President involved to reduce the sentence. This is a good learning lesson for the violator and puts visitors to the Cayman Islands on notice of what they are risking to willfully break the law which should provide a strong deterrent for visitors to follow the law.
The Cayman Islands should also ban this person from entering the country in the future, at least until the worldwide pandemic is over.
She deliberately removed her security bracelet. She was no innocent. The rules would have been explained to her on arrival. She was not forced to go the Caymans - it was her free choice. A reasonable sentence to keep the Islands Covid secure.
@Brian - some people have lost their lives, their loved ones, their jobs, their homes, their life savings....but boo hoo, you can't party and have to "deal with" online classes. How difficult for you. Yeah, it sucks, but it sucks for everyone, and you're getting off easily compared to the people who lost loved ones or are going to be dealing with crippling chronic issues as a result of the virus. Part of going to...
@Brian - some people have lost their lives, their loved ones, their jobs, their homes, their life savings....but boo hoo, you can't party and have to "deal with" online classes. How difficult for you. Yeah, it sucks, but it sucks for everyone, and you're getting off easily compared to the people who lost loved ones or are going to be dealing with crippling chronic issues as a result of the virus. Part of going to college is not just partying, but also acquiring a sense of humility and personal responsibility.
As for the girl, she knew the rules and she broke them because she didn't think they applied to her. There's no reason she should get special treatment for knowingly breaking the law and endangering people.
Let her rot in jail. Tired of these privileged rich white girls doing whatever they want to do and thinking rules don’t apply to them. Sounds like another Nathalie Holloway case. No one would give 0.02 if this was some black or Hispanic girl or some person from Italy or whatever. Let her sit in jail and do her time.
Exactly why the US cannot control Covid.
@Brian W. - Check your comment ten years later and hopefully you will feel shameful for yourself, otherwise congratulate for growing up to one of those people that consider themselves as the center of the universe.
@Brian W.
Do you think everyone else signed up for this? Do you think everyone else things easy? Some people loss their family, jobs or businesses, and you’re complaining because you can’t party with friends? What’s not fair is this woman ignoring the safety of others to attend a public event without a mask. She gets to decide whether others should risk their lives because boohoo she wants to see her boyfriend?
The young blond woman pleaded for reconsideration. The judge cut her sentence in half to 2 months from 4 months.
Typical American, thinks they are above the law. Good on the Caymens jailing her.
Oh boo-fricking hoo, spoiled college kid. Time for you the grow the fark up.
She needs to quickly conspire with a foreign adversary or commit treason on behalf of Trump if she wants his help avoiding jail.
I would like to disagree with the commenters and offer my sympathies. I'm 19, also a freshman in college. We did not sign up for this. We have to deal with online classes, not being able to see our friends or party, not being able to do the things everybody our age before us did. It's not fair for us to be in this position when we are navigating the world. Cut her some slack....
I would like to disagree with the commenters and offer my sympathies. I'm 19, also a freshman in college. We did not sign up for this. We have to deal with online classes, not being able to see our friends or party, not being able to do the things everybody our age before us did. It's not fair for us to be in this position when we are navigating the world. Cut her some slack. She's probably going through a stressful time just like the rest of us and simply needs a vacation to reset.
@ Brian W. -- Hey, I just wanted to say I hear you, and get where you're coming from. Empathy for others is important, and this is a very overwhelming time.
My nieces are about your age -- one "graduated" last Spring (of course the celebrations and ceremony were canceled along with the last quarter of school), and she can't start work in her field because she can't get the hours for the State...
@ Brian W. -- Hey, I just wanted to say I hear you, and get where you're coming from. Empathy for others is important, and this is a very overwhelming time.
My nieces are about your age -- one "graduated" last Spring (of course the celebrations and ceremony were canceled along with the last quarter of school), and she can't start work in her field because she can't get the hours for the State credentials she needs because of the various COVID restrictions. The other is a junior, and she's paying rent on an apartment in a town she doesn't need to be in, dues to a Sorority she can't participate in, can't go to science labs, much less the study abroad program she'd planned, etc. It for sure sucks.
Similarly, my first day of college was September 12, 2001, and I absolutely did not get to do the things people before me did because of it. Not just while in school, but because of the political and economic conditions afterwards - there are so many things that are harder for people my age, and we'll honestly probably never be able to "do the things" the generations before us did because of circumstances we had no control or input over. And it's not great, but it's also sorta fine? Especially with distance, I can see that other people/age groups have certainly gone through worse, and the flipside is that I had opportunities available to me that people a little bit older didn't have, and my parents couldn't even have imagined. That might end up being true for you too. Nothing is ever perfectly equitable, but comparison is the thief of joy, and especially at this pretty important time of your life, where you're learning what kind of human you're going to be, harboring resentment and focusing on what you're missing out on won't do you any favors.
Everything about the management of this pandemic feels really unfair, because it is, and no one, absolutely no one, signed up for this. It probably feels even worse when you're so far removed from what the "adults in charge" are doing and deciding for everyone. I get it, I do. But none of that gives you an excuse for putting other people at risk or not being responsible for your own actions. If a drunk driver killed your best friend would you say "it's fine, they were probably going through a stressful time, there shouldn't be any consequences"?
No matter how stressed and tired everyone is (and we all are), you are old enough to know the difference between right and wrong, and so is she. Don't lose sight of that because things are hard, or you're feeling inconvenienced. A great hand can often be played poorly, and even the shittiest hand can sometimes still be played well.
Hang in there.
This could be the next episode of 90 day fiancé.
Of course, while there are many terms which accurately describe the Cayman Islands, "sovereign nation" is not one of them, and potential diplomatic pressure needs to be viewed within the broader scope of the US-UK relationship, as well as Caymans-UK devolution. It's my belief that the FCO's hands are tied on this one--any interference would doubtless be seen in the Caymans and abroad as a cynical attempt to secure favorable trade terms for the UK,...
Of course, while there are many terms which accurately describe the Cayman Islands, "sovereign nation" is not one of them, and potential diplomatic pressure needs to be viewed within the broader scope of the US-UK relationship, as well as Caymans-UK devolution. It's my belief that the FCO's hands are tied on this one--any interference would doubtless be seen in the Caymans and abroad as a cynical attempt to secure favorable trade terms for the UK, at the expense of public safety. Domestically, this is also a campaign issue--the Conservatives are beholden to a base of support that feels deep apprehension over the loss in stature precipitated by Brexit. There is no appetite in this segment for concessions on sovereignty of any sort, even when those concessions are necessary, and genuinely trade-related. HMG can easily keep itself away from the issue by pleading a policy of non-interference, and the US State Department knows this. Trump may tweet about it, but it won't go further than that.
Their country, their rules. I truly don't understand why these stories get so much press. How would Americans feel if some foreign country put diplomatic pressure on us for jailing a tourist that broke our laws?
people like her, make EVERYBODY else who is following rules suffer as well.
Hope she will have to serve the entire 4 months, PLUS the social work (of course AFTER her now 4 months quarantine) would just be a good thing to look back at, later on.
At age 18, others show respect to there country and serve the Military and save Money for there later life.
Time that those US Youngsters...
people like her, make EVERYBODY else who is following rules suffer as well.
Hope she will have to serve the entire 4 months, PLUS the social work (of course AFTER her now 4 months quarantine) would just be a good thing to look back at, later on.
At age 18, others show respect to there country and serve the Military and save Money for there later life.
Time that those US Youngsters learn, that NOT everything can be bought with Dad's money.
Some punishment for those people who make it harder or even impossible for those who follow rules.
We all want to travel again!
Just thought of my recent Bodrum, Dalaman, Izmir, Adana TR trip. EVERYBODY (even the very old Locals) was following the rules there, so that Girls can be happy, to not have been sentenced in Turkey, she probably would have not survived?
Then again, Turkey has rules, but no quarantine for foreigners yet!
While 18 year olds are allowed to vote, drive and join the military, from a neurodevelopmental perspective, their brains are not fully mature. The frontal lobe is usually finished around 25 for the average human being and controls self regulation, inhibition, attention, planning, etc. I'm really impressed with everyone commenting who has never apparently broken a law. I know I certainly did at 18 (and still speed so am a reckless scofflaw even now) and...
While 18 year olds are allowed to vote, drive and join the military, from a neurodevelopmental perspective, their brains are not fully mature. The frontal lobe is usually finished around 25 for the average human being and controls self regulation, inhibition, attention, planning, etc. I'm really impressed with everyone commenting who has never apparently broken a law. I know I certainly did at 18 (and still speed so am a reckless scofflaw even now) and recognize that there for the Grace of God...
Grandma doesn’t know what ‘owning up’ means... owning up would be doing the time for the crime and not complaining.
I agree with @Tom above. Caymans have worked hard to keep their island Covid free, partially by necessity. Their medical system could get overwhelmed quite quickly.
I know one person who in the past month, had a roommate get Covid, flew to LA to thanksgiving to meet his brothers coming from GA and another state (went straight from the plane to the pool deck at the Andaz WH, flew back to NY, flew to Cabo...
I agree with @Tom above. Caymans have worked hard to keep their island Covid free, partially by necessity. Their medical system could get overwhelmed quite quickly.
I know one person who in the past month, had a roommate get Covid, flew to LA to thanksgiving to meet his brothers coming from GA and another state (went straight from the plane to the pool deck at the Andaz WH, flew back to NY, flew to Cabo for Christmas, and will be flying from Cabo to Atlanta for NYE. That the exact type of person the Caymans doesn't want, so to deter that type of person, they need to have harsh punishments for Americans who aren't taking this virus seriously.
They made their point, and now I think that she should be released. Rather than keeping her there, they could ban her for life from re-entering the country. She is a dumb kid (I was too). She comes from a country where you can riot, burn down buildings, and loot stores, while the police are told to stand down. She probably did not know better, but I'll be she gets it now. Victimless crime. Besides,...
They made their point, and now I think that she should be released. Rather than keeping her there, they could ban her for life from re-entering the country. She is a dumb kid (I was too). She comes from a country where you can riot, burn down buildings, and loot stores, while the police are told to stand down. She probably did not know better, but I'll be she gets it now. Victimless crime. Besides, she is a real cutie, and that alone should get her released (my personal bias).
Another entitled brat that thought the rules didn’t apply to her. Leave her there to serve the full sentence, maybe she’ll learn something her parents never taught her.
Obey their laws, don’t get into fights with locals, and don’t drink the tap. Pretty simple.
you get what you deserve!
That "girl", got lucky already, not receiving the highest sentence she could've gotten either one year or two to the new rule two years in jail for violating, it is a law and dead law has been broken and she got lucky to get sentenced for four months only.
In jail !
Sounds like the family is a financial Trump supporter?
Am i glad, the Cayman Islands do "business" different then the US.
@ Reaper
That quote is from The Office.
I am a U.S. citizen who lives and works in the Cayman Islands. I so appreciate the point you made about her intentions and the issue about when she arrived here. The news services have not mentioned anything regarding that. One thing people here are upset about is not knowing how she got permission to visit, as she is not Caymanian, is not related to a Caymanian and is not a resident or permit holder....
I am a U.S. citizen who lives and works in the Cayman Islands. I so appreciate the point you made about her intentions and the issue about when she arrived here. The news services have not mentioned anything regarding that. One thing people here are upset about is not knowing how she got permission to visit, as she is not Caymanian, is not related to a Caymanian and is not a resident or permit holder. Our borders remain, for all others, closed. Even those who are allowed into the country have found it very difficult to obtain clearance for flights. There are reports of people being told they were cleared for flights and then finding out the day of or day before that they would not be allowed to travel. Regarding Ms. Mack, if the rules had been followed in the first place, she would not have been allowed to be here, unless there's some factor/situation that hasn't been disclosed.
Nonetheless, the facts remain the same: She signed off on the requirements for quarantine, and she chose to break the law. She could have received up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine, so she should count herself lucky, do her (short) time and advise her family to stop trying to drum up sympathy, as it has no effect on opinion here, where America doesn't call the shots.
Also can we just discuss 18 years old Lucky's bad decisions pretty please :D ?
No sympathy. She got what she deserved. American exceptionalism at its finest on full display in a foreign country. If these morons hate the world outside the US so much, why travel? Surely she could vacation in Athens, GA!
Remember Anne sacoolas ? She was involved in a hit and run in the UK killing a teenager and flew back to the US.
The incumbent government has basically protected her and refused to extradite her to face the music .
So many Americans think they are above the law. Ignore quarantine regulations, kill someone ... appalling
She seems to be a metaphor for how some countries have handled Covid. Could have just sucked it up and spent a short time locked down, but wanted to do whatever she wanted, and now has to spend 10 times as long dealing with the consequences.
It's outrageous to me that anyone thinks this girl deserves sympathy. Coming from a country where law and order is a joke is NOT a reason for her to ignore laws in other countries. Criticizing the almost non-enforceable quarantine policies in the US is one thing, but using this as an excuse to justify what she did is plain stupidity.
I think visitors have an even greater responsibility to follow the laws of a foreign country than the residents of that country, whether or not they agree with the laws and whether or not the laws make sense to them. Therefore, I do not believe the punishment is too harsh. If anything, it is too lenient. And if the argument is that she's just a child (of an adult age of 18), then her parents...
I think visitors have an even greater responsibility to follow the laws of a foreign country than the residents of that country, whether or not they agree with the laws and whether or not the laws make sense to them. Therefore, I do not believe the punishment is too harsh. If anything, it is too lenient. And if the argument is that she's just a child (of an adult age of 18), then her parents are at fault and should travel to the Cayman Islands to spend 4 months in jail alongside her.
She got what she deserved. In the long run, this may be a valuable lesson for this young person, who seems to think she is above the law.
The consequences of her actions could have been so sever she got what she deserves.
She deserves the entire sentence for her recklessness and total disregard for the host country’s law. She knew what she was doing: she purposely removed her tracking bracelet. She then attended a crowded event without even the courtesy of slapping on a mask.
@George N Romey
I can see why you’re an anti mask, COVID conspiracy theorist now. You can’t even read properly. It has been mentioned dozens of times that the offender is...
She deserves the entire sentence for her recklessness and total disregard for the host country’s law. She knew what she was doing: she purposely removed her tracking bracelet. She then attended a crowded event without even the courtesy of slapping on a mask.
@George N Romey
I can see why you’re an anti mask, COVID conspiracy theorist now. You can’t even read properly. It has been mentioned dozens of times that the offender is a she, not a he, yet you still called her a “he” and “young man”. If you can’t even get that right, I suppose there is no hope at you understanding COVID studies.
People have been jailed in the Isle of Man , albeit for a lesser period , for breaking quarantine rules.
The IoM is a self governing British dependency in the Irish Sea.
"If I had a dollar for every person I’ve seen violate them, I’d write myself a stimulus check (which would cover a few weeks of health insurance, yay!)."
Best Lucky quote of all time.
She chose to go to a foreign country. Respect their laws. She lied to the authorities and put others at risk. Keep her locked up for the full four months as the judge sentenced her. Someone who is pre-med should know better. Just another stupid and selfish person.
Not only did she remove the tracking bracelet as Scott notes above -- and that certainly is a pre-meditated act, what was not mentioned above but has been mentioned in some of the articles about this incident is that the girl is not only a college student, but she also happens to be a pre-med college student who wants to be a physician!!!
No one who is studying to be a doctor cannot be unaware...
Not only did she remove the tracking bracelet as Scott notes above -- and that certainly is a pre-meditated act, what was not mentioned above but has been mentioned in some of the articles about this incident is that the girl is not only a college student, but she also happens to be a pre-med college student who wants to be a physician!!!
No one who is studying to be a doctor cannot be unaware of the virus' spread and the general dislocation of the health care services because of this. Moreover, no one who hopes to take the Hippocratic Oath - do no harm - can be so cavalier concerning another's health.
She got off easy.
In my book, she should be, and I hope she is, rejected when she applies to medical school as this sort of behavior is absolutely catastrophic.
You know the rules, intentionally break them and you want sympathy? Sure....
play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
Two words: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
I wonder if this young woman has basically skated through life without really ever fully understanding or acknowledging that the laws (and rules) apply to her. And yes, much of this has to do with her Whiteness (not to be mistaken for her race as a White person). Before you accuse me of "reverse racism" or making this issue into one about race, consider this test: If this person were a...
Two words: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
I wonder if this young woman has basically skated through life without really ever fully understanding or acknowledging that the laws (and rules) apply to her. And yes, much of this has to do with her Whiteness (not to be mistaken for her race as a White person). Before you accuse me of "reverse racism" or making this issue into one about race, consider this test: If this person were a young Black man of the same age, would there be the same coverage or attention focused on not only the violation itself and the duration of the violation? (Avoid the mental gymnastics and try to be honest with yourself.)
I guarantee you that this woman will NEVER forget this lesson; in fact, I doubt she'll ever make this mistake (or similar mistake) again. I also want to underscore that she is not locked up in some North Korean prison where she has been starved, forced to do hard labor, and basically tortured. (I'd even wager that she'll write some book or blog about this incident at some point in her future -- perhaps even a college admissions essay.) My point is that she will be fine.
I think an 18 year old can make bad decisions as pointed out and can make good ones too. It is an age where you have sufficient maturity and analytical skills to determine what poses a risk or not to your person and or others.
The problem in this case is most likely how the traveller's home or state perceived and treated Covid . The US has given alot of room to rebellious behaviour under...
I think an 18 year old can make bad decisions as pointed out and can make good ones too. It is an age where you have sufficient maturity and analytical skills to determine what poses a risk or not to your person and or others.
The problem in this case is most likely how the traveller's home or state perceived and treated Covid . The US has given alot of room to rebellious behaviour under the pre tense of freedom. (Look at the number of cases, Think Michigan legislation and all the lies spun by the right wing US media, and right up to the US admin itself .)
It is no wonder she banalised a foreign country's sovereign laws and simply felt she could act like she did at home. Too often the case with Americans travelling abroad where they feel very comfortable acting like they are at home pretty much anywhere on this planet and expect that US culture and ways of doing things are universal.
I applaud such a tiny nation for excercising their sovereignty by not only giving foreigners a slap on the fingers but a brutal wake up call: The World is sick and it is greatly due to individuals like this young lady who thinks the President of the United States will rescue her because she ditched the rules just like him.
The gurl aint in Kansas anymore and she will need to serve time without her Dorothy shoes.
Good on Cayman Island and may all future travellers be warned!
The punishment is fair. She is an adult, that should know the rules to the country she is traveling to. She decided to break them. I get we all did stupid things at 18, but she could have transmitted the virus. That person may have died. They did such a good job at containing the virus unlike us. They should not have to suffer due to Americans ignorance.
The Cayman Islands is sending a clear message: don't come. Tourism is not open for business.
And that's fine, and probably rational. They have worked hard to keep their island safe. It'd be better if they shut off flights though.
As for the president, the Cayman Islands is a sovereign nation and the US president has no power to release someone in their custody.
I have no sympathy with the little snowflake. You go to another country, you need to respect their rules. Period.
Once you enter a foreign country, you are subject to its laws. Period. Your embassy will NOT help you if the problem was remotely your own fault. They cannot get you out of jail, get you out of a court proceeding, give you money, recommend any lawyers (they give you a list of lawyers that speak your language, but CANNOT make any recommendations) or pay any fees or fines for you. What they can do...
Once you enter a foreign country, you are subject to its laws. Period. Your embassy will NOT help you if the problem was remotely your own fault. They cannot get you out of jail, get you out of a court proceeding, give you money, recommend any lawyers (they give you a list of lawyers that speak your language, but CANNOT make any recommendations) or pay any fees or fines for you. What they can do is to make sure you are not being treated any differently than any of the particular country's citizens in the same situation. They can also help you contact your relatives back home. The fact that you are a foreigner means absolutely nothing to the country's authorities. As was said on a Locked Up Abroad episode once, "You do not need a visa to go to jail, young lady!"
It is harsh but that is their law and so be it. If you go to any country, you have to obey their laws and rules and if not, you face their punishment, not ours. Like the teenager who was caned somewhere in Asia years ago for vandalism. Everyone here raised hell. He was there - their country, their laws. I imagine the story will make others think twice before going to the Cayman's and...
It is harsh but that is their law and so be it. If you go to any country, you have to obey their laws and rules and if not, you face their punishment, not ours. Like the teenager who was caned somewhere in Asia years ago for vandalism. Everyone here raised hell. He was there - their country, their laws. I imagine the story will make others think twice before going to the Cayman's and breaking quarantine. Sounds like that was their intention all along, since that is what she went there for.
I do think the penalty is harsh but is appropriate if that makes sense. The law is harsh, but the law was applied correctly, thus I have no sympathy. I have much more sympathy for people who are subject to penalties that are not applied correctly/equally to all.
It is moronic in the USA that we have these quarantine policies that hinge only on personal responsibility and don't have a tracking and enforcement component to it. Our spread and death numbers speak to the ineffectiveness of our policies. We also don't have any way to track people traveling across county and state lines. And again, you love our policies based on "freedom," look how well they are working relating to the case count...
It is moronic in the USA that we have these quarantine policies that hinge only on personal responsibility and don't have a tracking and enforcement component to it. Our spread and death numbers speak to the ineffectiveness of our policies. We also don't have any way to track people traveling across county and state lines. And again, you love our policies based on "freedom," look how well they are working relating to the case count and death numbers?
If policy makers realized this voluntary approach was foolhardy and dismissed it early, we would be better off. I also think the vaccines should have been released earlier when a preponderence of the evidence suggested they would likely work. If we avoided some of the approval red tape and old processes, we might have been able to get the vaccine out early like a month or two ago starting.
We also had volunteer research subjects who were willing to do challenge trials to expedite research, but we bungled that too because it was too difficult for our policymakers to think of handling challenge trials.
I dont' think its likely people would have died in large numbers to get vaccine candidates.
I don't know what the condition of the prisons are where this person would be, and without that info, its hard to say for sure.
I think US citizens should be required to:
(A) A mandatory requirement that you use the Google/Apple tracking API; or
(B) If you do not have a smart phone we give you one or some kind of simialr tracking device.
And again I know you'll be crying about privacy and freedom, but just look at how well this freedom policy is working?
She removed the tracking bracelet which shows willful disregard for the measures in place. Tough lesson.
18 year olds are not teenagers! When you keep saying teen, you are minimizing it like a 14 year old did that. She is 18, can drive, vote, live by herself, have a gun and even drink in some countries. Stop using this term to treat her like a kid.
She did something wrong a put a lot of people from another country in danger. She should be thankful for only getting 4 months.
Good on the Caymans. Should be maximum, as allowed by the law.
The better off Caribbean islands have kept their strict requirements for a reason while the rest of the Caribbean starving for the US dollar has left the door wide open (Dominican, Jamaica, etc)
I think the prosecutor has a point... To many visitors to the Caymans $2,600 is hardly a deterrent, but a jail sentence is. Of course a young blonde white girl in trouble 'abroad' makes for a great media story, and there's no doubt that's why we're hearing about this. It's easy to feel bad for the young girl, and I certainly do, but presumably if it were a different ethnicity/gender/age we might not all collectively...
I think the prosecutor has a point... To many visitors to the Caymans $2,600 is hardly a deterrent, but a jail sentence is. Of course a young blonde white girl in trouble 'abroad' makes for a great media story, and there's no doubt that's why we're hearing about this. It's easy to feel bad for the young girl, and I certainly do, but presumably if it were a different ethnicity/gender/age we might not all collectively feel so bad. Regardless of whether or not she serves her entire sentence, she'll be OK.
Her family is from Georgia, and I know a lot of residents in that state seem to support tough treatment for immigration violators in the United States. Is it fair to apply a different standard of thought to Americans making immigration violations abroad?
Shame on them.
Regime change is easy in our own backyard. Wouldn't it be nice if we could travel to the Cayman Islands without a passport!
Let's throw these hooligans out of power and create a new safer place for American teenagers to vacation to.
I don’t see the need for the president to intervene with international affairs as their lives are not at risk. That would be another story. They’re in the Caribbean. Not a North Korean concentration camp.
No sympathy. As the article cites some countries have been very strict with travel and quarantines and it is probably no coincidence that those countries have extremely low levels of infection especially compared to countries like the US. Taiwan, for example, just reported its first - yes FIRST - local case in over 250 days. Their death toll during the entire pandemic is 7 people. Granted their population is about 13 times smaller than the...
No sympathy. As the article cites some countries have been very strict with travel and quarantines and it is probably no coincidence that those countries have extremely low levels of infection especially compared to countries like the US. Taiwan, for example, just reported its first - yes FIRST - local case in over 250 days. Their death toll during the entire pandemic is 7 people. Granted their population is about 13 times smaller than the US, but that would be equivalent to the US having a total of under 100 deaths. Instead US has thousands per day.
Four months is quite a bit of time. However, I'm not sure it's too much. She intentionally removed her tracking band and made no attempt to social distance or even wear a mask. I know she's 18 (I distinctly remember making some very bad choices at that age), but all those decisions combined show she knew what she was doing wasn't right and made no attempt to decrease the impact of her actions.
Good!!! May I please have some more of this?
People will only respect quarantine requirement when there is a real consequence for violating it. Harsher the punishment, the more likely people will respect the law. It’s pretty obvious when there is no punishment (like in US), covid will run wild. Given how close Caymen Islands is from US, if they don’t make an example out of her, you know some rich American people may be jetting off there to party and possibly spread the...
People will only respect quarantine requirement when there is a real consequence for violating it. Harsher the punishment, the more likely people will respect the law. It’s pretty obvious when there is no punishment (like in US), covid will run wild. Given how close Caymen Islands is from US, if they don’t make an example out of her, you know some rich American people may be jetting off there to party and possibly spread the infection on the islands. I say good for them for dishing out the punishment. You can be sure any Americans are thinking of skipping quarantine at Caymen Islands will not be doing so in the near future.
Always strikes me as strange when Americans who are in trouble for violating the entry rules of another country reach out to a president who puts innocent children in cages when they 'violate' US entry rules...
If they vaccinate prisoners early, as some states will in the U.S., this might be a good way to jump the line.
While it does seem harsh, the law is the law, or as the old Latin phrase goes "lex dura, sed lex". Seeing that the law was not misapplied here, that the Cayman government was seemingly rather clear in its intentions to have the quarantine enforced, I think the penalty is fair, just, and in the public interest.
Seven hour jet ski event - absolutely no sympathy. Probably too light.
In countries that properly deal with COVID (Taiwan) we see somebody get like USD 4K fine for setting foot on (designated quarantine) hotel corridor for half minute to obtain hot water (spotted by patrol). Compare that to seven hours in jet ski event with thousands of people. Maybe, 4 month jail is too light.
No sympathy. It's outrageous to selfishly endanger the lives of others.
There are probably way worst places to be in jail than in Cayman Islands. :)
4 months is crazy. Serious crime sometimes isn't even that. Yes, maybe a week or 2 in jail and penalty but NOT 4 months. That's nuts.
I think the punishment is appropriate. She knew she was clearly and willfully breaking Cayman law. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.
Nobody is taking this virus seriously, unless you are sick and dying or you are in jail.
So go figure out, why the 4 month jail sentence is appropriate to finally bang peoples head to realise that Covid-19 is not a stupid itch and ignore it as you wish. If it is only youself you endanger, be my guess and knock yourself out, but you endanger other people just because you are too comfortable to care for others.
Absolutely no sympathy as she was fully aware of the regulations before she arrived and would have been reminded at immigration.
Moreover all scheduled flights are suspended. Only those authorised by the government are permitted.
You need pre authorisation to visit and 14 days quarantine is mandatory
I believe the sentence is appropriate for anyone found guilty of attending a jet ski, aka, sea doof, event. Stupid is what stupid does.
It's interesting to see all the people comment that this is a harsh sentence, these ones are probably from the US. All Americans think about is themselves with the me, myself and I attitude. In different parts of the world, punishment can be a lot harsher to get the point across because we humans sometimes just don't get it. Are some laws quite harsh, yes certainly. However, you need to see it from that country's...
It's interesting to see all the people comment that this is a harsh sentence, these ones are probably from the US. All Americans think about is themselves with the me, myself and I attitude. In different parts of the world, punishment can be a lot harsher to get the point across because we humans sometimes just don't get it. Are some laws quite harsh, yes certainly. However, you need to see it from that country's point of view, the "harshness" of the law is to serve a purpose. It's just that US people are weak, spineless and don't fear the law. Like @Jennifer says, Americans quite often blatantly disregard laws of other countries thinking that it doesn't apply to me.
She can join the military, she can vote, and she can presumably access the internet and read the rules. In other words, she's an adult. Zero sympathy for her.
Three meals a day, a bed, no work and great weather.
@Sam, I disagree. The heavy penalty ensures it gets media coverage in the US, thus providing a cheap way for the Caymans to get their message across. She will probably only serve a week tops.
If she only got a week initially, we probably would never even hear about it
No sympathy. It may well not teach anyone but her a lesson and it may not be a massively effective deterrent, but after spending much of this year watching teenagers and the 20-25s in my area not giving a damn about anyone else, there's something karmic about finally seeing one of the "it's all about me" types getting their comeuppance.
I live in Cayman and the punishment is less than it should be. She put 66,000 people at risk and all the hard work to make the islands Covid free could have been destroyed. She knew how serious it was taken and would have been told many times before arriving and upon arrival. It was blatant disregard for the laws of a foreign country and she should be thankful its here and not somewhere else where prisons are genuinely scary.
Note that Cayman Island dollars are a different currency to U.S. dollars.
@david, when you’re making a bad joke, at least try to get it right.
It’s Guantanamo Bay.
While I don't buy into all of the hype that tries to present Covid as being on par with the Ebola virus, I do recognize that it is very contagious and can be dangerous to certain people. The girl had negative test results and probably figured that it would "be okay" if she went out - which is why she had traveled to the Caymans in the first place. Obviously, that was a big error...
While I don't buy into all of the hype that tries to present Covid as being on par with the Ebola virus, I do recognize that it is very contagious and can be dangerous to certain people. The girl had negative test results and probably figured that it would "be okay" if she went out - which is why she had traveled to the Caymans in the first place. Obviously, that was a big error in judgment. These types of rules are why I haven't been traveling as I normally would. After all, why go through the hassle and spend the $$ if you cannot enjoy the destination.
So yes, she made a big error in judgment. Personally, I'd say that a big fine and maybe a couple nights in jail would suffice as a deterrent. Months in jail is stupid and absurd.
25 to Life would be appropriate.
We should give them a one-way ticket to Montego Bay. Where they keep all the Al-Qaeda.
I think 4 months is quite harsh and with a criminal record will mar this young man's future. I know nothing of this person. Is he a good student and with no behavioral issues? If so I'd think the trauma of the ordeal would be enough even without jail. Particularly when you consider an 18 year old would have a 99.99% chance of not having medical issues and likely wouldn't transmit the virus. Again, another...
I think 4 months is quite harsh and with a criminal record will mar this young man's future. I know nothing of this person. Is he a good student and with no behavioral issues? If so I'd think the trauma of the ordeal would be enough even without jail. Particularly when you consider an 18 year old would have a 99.99% chance of not having medical issues and likely wouldn't transmit the virus. Again, another data point of just how stupid this entire ordeal has become and how certain parties (politicians, the press, and the "Karens" of the world) have used it to advance their own agenda. Notice we don't seem to be telling old, sick people, no shortage of you will find in planes and airports, they can't travel. You know the people that likely would have issues with COVID and spread it.
I think a month in jail would be better. The jail time at least needs to be longer than the 14 day quarantine.
The main problem here is that there is clear research showing that certainly of getting caught deters crime but harshness of the punishment doesn't (which is counterintuitive for a lot of people). See this from DOJ: https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/five-things-about-deterrence
So you've put your finger on the main problem–there's basically no risk of getting caught generally for quarantine violations, and one harsh punishment will do nothing to change that perception.
The main problem here is that there is clear research showing that certainly of getting caught deters crime but harshness of the punishment doesn't (which is counterintuitive for a lot of people). See this from DOJ: https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/five-things-about-deterrence
So you've put your finger on the main problem–there's basically no risk of getting caught generally for quarantine violations, and one harsh punishment will do nothing to change that perception.
A jail term for the duration of the intended vacation (but not commingling with the rest of the prison population of course) and a hefty fee seems most appropriate.
I think one week in jail would be a sufficient deterrent. Four months is ridiculous.