in Monday's Toronto Sun.

There have been howls of dissatisfaction following the acquittal of Justis Smith and the five-year sentence being served by Kirk Mundy in the murder of Belleville teenager Rebecca (Becky) Middleton in Bermuda in July, 1996.

Two weeks ago a judge in Bermuda ruled there was no case against Smith and freed him.

Mundy had earlier worked out a deal with the Attorney General to plead to a lesser charge and testify against Smith. But that plan unravelled in court after DNA evidence could not link Smith directly to the murder. However, the evidence against Mundy was substantial. But he can't now be charged for the crime.

The justice system in Bermuda is being heavily criticised for ineptitude. And so are the Police who investigated the murder. Amid cries for justice for Becky Middleton and her parents -- Cindy and David, who were in Bermuda for the trial and left very disappointed -- is the call for vacationers to boycott the Island.

One of Bermuda's claims is that it is an almost crime free paradise where people leave their doors unlocked and residents are courteous and friendly. I take it that is what the Middletons believed when they allowed their 17-year-old daughter to visit with her friend Jasmine Meens.

In the debate about the trial it must not be forgotten that Bermudians everywhere are upset with what has gone on. Many have worked long and hard to maintain the good reputation of the vacation island which sits in the Atlantic, off the southeast coast of the United States.

But the rise in crime in many holiday destinations is of concern to local officials and the travel industry in general.

For example, in Jamaica Police and tour operators have instituted measures to improve security for visitors. The nation's Prime Minister, Percival J.

Patterson, was involved in those plans, aimed at protecting the country's US$1 billion tourism industry. In other Caribbean countries governments have taken similar action.

Gary Phillips, Bermuda's Director of Tourism, is quoted in The Royal Gazette , one of the Island's major newspapers, as saying: "I think all of Bermuda is unhappy -- this crime had to happen. Persons outside the island who look at us for a holiday appreciate that it is still a relatively safe environment and they won't look at us too harshly.'' I have deep sympathy for the family of Rebecca Middleton. I too feel their pain in the loss of a child, and frustration at what some consider a miscarriage of justice. But in attempting to lay blame it is important not to tarnish a whole country for the misdeeds of a few.

Bermuda has its indigenous population. But it is also home to a number of expatriates, many of whom are from British Commonwealth countries. In addition to the beaches, comfortable temperatures and a related way of life, one of the major attractions is that the island is steeped in British traditions.

Some officials in the Attorney General's office are Canadians. William Pearce, the prosecutor in Smith's trial is originally from Victoria, British Columbia.

Defence lawyer John Percy was brought in from England. Elliott Mottley, the attorney general who arranged Mundy's deal, is from Barbados.

It is likely that Police investigating the killing were trained in Britain.

Clearly, it appears the investigation into Becky Middleton's murder was bungled.

Now there's the possibility there will be a probe into how the case was handled.

Public Safety Minister Paula Cox said: "If we are going to maintain a sense of integrity of our process, there is clearly a need for justice both to be done and to be seen to be done.'' I want the Middleton family to get justice. But I cannot accept tarnishing the good name of a mostly law-abiding people because of a few miscreants and possible inefficiency in the justice system.

Those who erred are the ones who should be made to pay.

NEWSPAPER NJ