Deputy PM: Age of consent should be raised to 18

Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper.

As of Monday, April 4, 2022

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Let's be clear: grown men should stay away from children. The law is designed to protect children, who cannot meaningfully offer consent, and it should be enforced to the fullest extent.
— Philip Brave Davis (@HonPhilipEDavis) April 1, 2022

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Chester Cooper said the age of consent should be raised to 18 to “further protect minors.”

His comment on Friday came after Minister of Social Services and Development Obie Wilchcombe said the Office of the Attorney General was looking to address “inconsistencies” in law with the age of consent with legislation expected to change in the summer.

“Public discourse can be rocky, but it can often bring about change,” Mr Cooper said in a statement posted to his Facebook page on Friday.

“The current discussion about the age of consent should be followed by action on the part of lawmakers. I have previously called for the legal age of consent to be increased to 18 years of age, and I stand by that today.

“This will further protect minors and make clear that children who cannot drink alcohol, join law enforcement, open a bank account, stand before a court as an an adult or vote, for example, cannot reasonably consent to sex with an adult.

“Any law that suggests otherwise is out of step with what the vast majority of those whom the law is supposed to serve believe. I am also for eliminating any ambiguity in the law with regard to teenage minors consenting to sex with adults — once again, they cannot.

“Laws must change as the values of society evolve and mature. Cabinet is considering measures to bring about these changes and they are long overdue,” Mr Cooper said.

This comes after a 40-year-old man was given a four-year sentence in a plea deal for unlawful sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl who was also pregnant. After the man completes his prison term, he will be on probation for three years.

The sentence prompted outcry from some people that it was too lenient.

However, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe on Thursday suggested the sentence was too severe, telling reporters that had he defended the man, he would have argued it was not rape and that the girl consented.

This statement led to backlash and calls for Mr Munroe’s resignation.

Speaking on the sidelines of a Child Protection Month press conference on Friday, Mr Wilchcombe said the age of consent is being reviewed.

“At 16, a young girl cannot even go to a doctor. . .the Attorney General’s Office is addressing the inconsistencies (in the age of consent) because we have from 10-years-old, a child can be charged as an adult for a crime depending on the circumstances. So we have a lot inconsistencies so we’re working on that now and we expect legislation to change during the summer months,” he said on Friday.

Asked if the plan was to increase the age of consent to 18, the West Grand Bahama and Bimini MP said, “I can’t say that, I know it’s being discussed.”

Regarding Mr Munroe’s controversial statements, Mr Wilchcombe said the minister is responsible for his comments.

“I’m responsible for the ones that I make,” he told reporters. “I’m not sure of the circumstances in which he was speaking. I thought at one point he simply was just seeking to give advice as to how he would advise a client. At the end of the day, my responsibility is to take care of the children and to ensure that our children are protected. Those responsibilities we intend to carry out vigorously.”

Mr Wilchcombe did not believe the statements made undermined the efforts of protecting children.

“The only thing that can undermine our work is if we do not carry it out vigorously. We’re not going to be undermined by anything and in our society you have to appreciate the differing views, but we have a stated mission, an obligation, and a pledge that we intend to pursue in the cause for our search for the protection of all children of our country because there’s too many that we’re seeing, too many cases of vexing issues that’s been around for awhile and so going to take a very aggressive approach in dealing with and causing for greater education.”

He added: “You will see changes to the law within the next several months to ensure that we are providing this protection.”

Ann Marie Davis, who was also at the event, said she thinks the maximum sentence should be given to those who violate children.

“It enrages me so much,” the prime minister’s wife said. “Personally, I would like to see everyone get the maximum sentence who violates a child. It's traumatic. It affects them for the rest of their lives. It destroys a child - someone who has the potential of doing so much more. Once you destroy a child’s life, I think everyone should get the maximum sentence. It makes me that angry.”

The 14-year-old victim in the unlawful sex case should have been protected more, according to Mrs Davis.

“She should’ve been protected by whoever her guardians were. Whoever her neighbours, teachers, everyone else. She should’ve been protected and my heart goes out to her.”

yari 2 years ago

Finally something I can agree with Chester Cooper on. After the comment that another lawyer made trying to justify the lenient sentence of the man who raped and impregnated a 14 year old that she was one and a half years away from the age of consent and so it wasn't the most egregious offence and the remarks by Wayne Munroe it seems we need to protect our minors from lawyers. There is no sliding scale - it's a case of guilty or not guilty.

tell_it_like_it_is 2 years ago

One thing Wayne Munroe did, is expose how many pedophiles we have living in this little Bahamas (some possibly commenting online).
The persons who getting upset about raising the age, probably out there molesting someone's child as we speak. SMH. This country is truly sickening and sad indeed!

TalRussell 2 years ago

I must disagree with the the comrade deputy prime minister's calling for the age of consent at which a young person can legally agree to sexual activity.
We need drop off the books many laws. not legislate new ones.
The proposed complexes contained in the Cannabis Act in the works for controlling the production, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis laws are perfect examples,― Yes?

ohdrap4 2 years ago

Why not raise it to 25?

SP 2 years ago

Lol YEAAAAA

IslandWarrior 2 years ago

I would think carefully about how the government proceeds with legislating these issues, some that are the personal choices of individuals, moral or not; there must be a line where a government must stand back. Restricting women from sex to 18 will create a much more dangerous culture of underground abortions, which most likely may lead to some deaths and other complications. The age of consent is 16, and if asked (this age group), most would agree that they had already engaged in sex at that age. At age 17, most girls are leaving high school, and some, by age 18, are involved in a serious relationship, and some would have moved on to marriage and have (been involved) with a man who is typically 5 – 10 years her senior. I don’t know which world some of these voices are living but please don’t legislate people’s lives to appease any particular interest.

moncurcool 2 years ago

There is a difference between legislating lives and protecting minors. Children must be protected.

IslandWarrior 2 years ago

Nah, 30 is a more fitting age.

bahamianson 2 years ago

Then you will find that half the country will have to go to jail.You will not have a work force. How many jitney drivers will be left? How many incidences are happening in the bathrooms and on school grounds? How many on church grounds and at junkanoo? How many are engaged in the apparently innucuous cunnilingus and fellatio and think nothing of a " quicky" at lunch for a social media video? We need to get to the children and teach them about these thingato also prevent situations. The music on the different stations certainly doesn't help. Young girls should not expose themselves to attract attention. Why do young girls feel the need to look sexy and young boys don't? Is it feminine to look sexy and not cool for boy? Do you see boys walking around with their chest showing? Do you see boys walking around with their their pants stuck to their private parts? They don't , so why is is accepted for girls and women? I am not blaming anyone just pointing out a double standard in our society. Maybe.be can start.from here.i agree that our society and the society at large are sexually charged , but for both sexes, not one sex.

Sickened 2 years ago

"How many jitney drivers will be left?" Lol. That is excellent!!!

BMW 2 years ago

Dont forget about the preachers as well!

Baha10 2 years ago

Thank God for the DPM and PM’s Wife being of sound mind … as for Munroe … he has embarrassed this Country on a level like no other in our History … he should not be allowed to “resign”, but instead must be immediately FIRED … and stripped of his QC appointment, as there is no way in a civilized society that he can serve as the Minister of National Security or continue as a QC if he does not appreciate that the whole reason for a statutory minimum age of consent is to protect the most vulnerable until they too can make responsible decisions … again as the Minister responsible for National Security no less and as a QC whose oath is to the Law first and foremost, Munroe is a disgrace beyond comparison … we may have many issues, but we are not the Taliban!

tribanon 2 years ago

Your words on this Munroe matter are not nearly enough Chester the Jester.

When Munroe spoke his most disgusting, loathsome and repugnant words, not only did he not misspeak, but he was speaking in an official capacity as a member of cabinet with ministerial responsibility for national security.

How many times have we been reminded that under our parliamentary system of government, cabinet speaks and acts under the 'collective doctrine' with one voice as the policy making and legislative arm of our government.

If Munroe is allowed to remain in cabinet, then it can only mean that each and every cabinet minister from Davis right on down the ladder is supportive of the outrageous and unacceptable views he expressed in public as a cabinet minister. They will be deemed to be supportive of Munroe under their very own collective doctrine whereby they speak with one voice for government on all policy related matters.

Already the public has a number of grave concerns about the collective views and beliefs of cabinet, with Davis's recent appointment of the loathsome gambling thug Sebas Bastian to a 'diplomatic' post accompanied by a public reference to him as "His Excellency" being the latest case in point.

And Davis's wife speaking out against Munroe's disgracefully abhorrent opinion as a cabinet minister is not a legitimate substitute for each and every cabinet member doing the only right and proper thing in the circumstances, i.e. unanimously cry out for Munroe to immediately submit his letter of resignation. And if he fails to do so, then Davis should not be seen to be hiding under his wife's skirt as a means of dodging doing the only right thing...firing Munroe from his cabinet post.

Now more than ever, Davis needs to send a very clear and unequivocal message that no one in his cabinet may support in any way the sexually assault or abuse of minors in our country, especially young girls. Davis and the other cabinet ministers must not allow Munroe to keep his cabinet post and sit among them.

No leader of a parliamentary democracy in the free world today worth his salt would accept a cabinet minister uttering such abhorrent views and beliefs in private, let alone in public.

Baha10 2 years ago

Excellent point … and well articulated … let us see what Monday brings, as this Story (as with far less significant Will Smith assault) is hard to simply ignore away.

moncurcool 2 years ago

Agree 100%^. Now let us see if Davis is a leader or not.

TalRussell 2 years ago

What Crown Minister Chester Cooper is doing is picking the arbitrary number 18 to be the PLP's Age of Consent for Consensual Sex. So clearly the arbitrary age of 18 the minister is talking about has nothing to do with bearing down on Christian values as such, ― Yes?

IslandWarrior 2 years ago

For many years the country has overlooked the legal drinking age of the MILLIONS of American tourists that visit the Bahamas (Spring Breakers) in particular, so I would expect the same exception for them on the issue of any new legislated sex consent age increase, the PLP is on a good role, don't derail too the wild of special interest or the appeasement of night whispers.

John 2 years ago

So let’s see: This government wants to pass a marital rape law which will go against biblical principles that teach a spouse cannot withdraw consent in a marriage and a woman should sub to her husband in godly love. Then again it wants to redefine holy marriage to now mean any intimate relationship between two consenting adults ( male or female or undecided). Then it wants to legalize the sex workers. So if you married and your partner ain’t freeing up, don’t sweat or try force the vibe, just go buy yourself a piece a leg. Or if you ain’t feeling the gender you have at home go out and buy the sex you feeling. And because One person has been charged with unlawful sex (statuary intercourse, not rape). , they now want to increase the age of consent, creating a whole new barrage of problems and issues. Government milust stop acting like firemen, running from place to place to put out small fires. Set the course, steady tge ship and stop sinking in public opinion and emotions. Hear the people, yes, listen to their concerns and cries, yes but everything must be weighed or measured against the standard.

tribanon 2 years ago

Are you now trying to label yourself a pedophilic creep?

John 2 years ago

Why you keep bringing your salacious fantasies up? Did d my parents say a even mention anything about underage girls?

sheeprunner12 2 years ago

But if you can get married at 15, how will that work?

tribanon 2 years ago

And many dumbed-down D - - - (triple minus) educated Bahamians, including some of our elected officials, believe the age of consent comes with the ability to conceive. That's no doubt an uncivilized hang-over from our days of slavery. Back then the earlier and more we bred the better. May well explain why the likes of Munroe still believe to this day that under-aged girls (minors) can continue to be preyed on by sicko adult perverts in our society with no serious consequences.

TalRussell 2 years ago

Governments always finds some crime to pin on any citizen it chose to politically target...And, so didn't Thee Mr. Minnis administration, who also interfered with the Rule of Law when it suctioned the use the PopoulacesPurse's many millions to choose which of its comrades citizens to pin criminal activities on?
The ver same government, who played a major role in propping up whatever fakeness was necessary to fuel the OBAN con.
How come PLP has such an urgency to introduce an Age 18 Consensual Sex Bill but not a single Law Bill is planned to curve the enthusiasm greed of the elected politicians' and political appointed, ― Yes?

B_I_D___ 2 years ago

Munroe needs to go..the fact that he is a QC is even that much more embarrassing. QC needs to be revoked and he should be banned from the bar...he is a disgrace.

Baha10 2 years ago

Let us see what the Bar Association, Chief Justice, Attorney General PM and Governor General do on Monday … “each” have a duty to address … and timely.

moncurcool 2 years ago

So will the age for marriage be increased to 18 as well?

SP 2 years ago

A fine example of why our country is in total chaos. What criteria did DPM Cooper draw his conclusion?

Here we have another politician with absolutely no qualifications in this area, with no substantiating evidence, and no facts, that have made a decision for the entire country based on his personal beliefs!

The high volume of girls going through the center for pregnant teens on Dowdwell street proves girls are promiscuous at a very early age.

This is not 1940' and 1950'. Regardless of the noise on the street, at least he could have first found out in real terms at what age are girls becoming sexually active. Without this basic information, it is not possible to reasonably consider setting a new legal sex age without creating exponentially more chaos.

Alternatively, perhaps Chester, the know it all politician has a secret way of stopping girls from promiscuity that he will reveal to us next.

carltonr61 2 years ago

@SP. Yea. National development made on sensationalism by the highest paying lobby group and fk our democracy and referendums. No in home married wives say married rape exists. Yet we are forced to believe it exists. No data Data data data data Data data data the money or figures don't add up as any dumb accountant would realize. No rationalizing. We need money accountability from sources to political figures. This nonsense just is so sweet for politicians. Democracy is criminality in the Bahamas.

carltonr61 2 years ago

The Police say they have zero evidence of marritial rape that makes it encounter a national response. Life is a hustle right now. Bahamians as the rest of humanity is in survival mode for the fittest as Inhumane Covid Laws showed they really font care who died or were put to the street and pavement to to survive as 'shut down now' was so real. To hell with if you ate food or paper. Government really didn't give a $hit whether your underage daughter or son had to bring supper home. The Covid laws created insanity. They destroyed civility and humanness for the next five years. You don't qualify because during the past two years the world was shut to all except war soldiers and drugs soldiers along with desperate females hungry to survive in tow, no education needed. As the world turns desperation has no conscience in the face of consequences as mommy and daddy cannot feed me and I need to were that bling bling to be affirmed by peers circle of friends.

John 2 years ago

MUNROE was pointing out that there was a reason for reclassifying ‘consensual’ sex with an underage person as being different from non consensual or forced rape. And people got all hit around the collar because he pointed out that the law considers sex with a minor a lesser crime than rape and so the penalties are less harsh. . . . As for raising the age of consent to EIGHTEEN: ‘ While the general ages of consent are now set between 16 and 18 in all U.S. states, the age of consent has widely varied across the country in the past. In 1880, the ages of consent were set at 10 or 12 in most states, with the exception of Delaware where it was 7’. . Be minded that many people complete high school at the age of sixteen. After that if they don’t go to college, 16 becomes the age of adulthood and responsibility where the individual must find a job and enter the workforce. And they also start doing grown people stuff. So will moving the age of consent to 18 mean that more people in the 16-17 age bracket will find themselves before the courts for unlawful sex AND get a criminal record that will follow them for the rest of the lives? Preventing them from traveling and job opportunities? .

. . And those that go colleg. Many will go to the US and Canada. They will live in dormitories or apartments where th will be mostly responsible for themselves. And, for many, sex is a part of college life. So Will increasing the age to 18 open a bigger can of worms when it has been determined that young people are highly sexually charged.

John 2 years ago

MEANWHILE in The US ‘ House Passes Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana The legislation, which faces an uncertain outlook in the Senate, would also establish a process to expunge prior marijuana-related convictions.’ if passed at the federal level this would mean that marijuana will be completely legal across the USA and many ( mostly Blacks) who spent years in prison for even small amounts of marijuana will have those criminal records expunged. This will leave this country with little choice but to follow suit with similar legalization legislation. And the $10,000 license for a marijuana license is out the window. License fees will have to be in the range of liquor licenses and most likely based on turnover.

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