Fourteen bishops of the Anglican Church in the Province of the West Indies have registered their opposition to the death penalty. They also called for government intervention over the upsurge of crime and violence in the Caribbean.

The bishops met in Nassau, Bahamas, from November 11-14, under the chairmanship of the Archbishop of the West Indies, the Most Rev Drexel Gomez.

In a communique the bishops state they are "of one mind in calling our people to stand with us in our opposition to the death penalty".

Noting a 'rapid escalation in criminal activity,' the bishops say the cry 'to hang the perpetrators high' has reached crescendo proportions.

They therefore resolve "to pursue a path of encouraging the governments to effect the reduction of significant inequalities in the region, which is necessary for their fight against crime and violence."

They propose a series of long-term strategies and initiatives "to mitigate the conditions caused by social injustice and inequalities in the region, including the drug culture and escalating gang warfare, all of which have produced fear and a sense of impotence and hopelessness in our communities."

The participating bishops included the Lord bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, the Rt Rev Dr Alfred Reid, and the Suffragan Bishops of Mandeville (Rt Rev Dr Harold Daniel), Montego Bay (Rt Rev Dr Howard Gregory) and Kingston (Rt Rev Dr Robert Thompson).