The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

ANN Marie Davis, the spouse of Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, has invited prominent pastor Rex Major to get more informed about marital rape.

During a national ecumenical church service last month, Pastor Major lamented efforts to criminalise marital rape, saying people lie.

 Yesterday, Mrs Davis said some people must be educated on the subject.

 “I like Rex Major, but I didn’t agree with him,” she said. “People tend to have different views on marital rape if they don’t speak to people, read the stories, talk about it and get educated on it and what it’s all about.

 “I invite the good pastor to talk to people that this has happened to and read up on it and get a little knowledge on it, because people are in a place where because they haven’t seen it or experienced it or lived it, it doesn’t happen, but it does happen.”

 Marital rape, which the Davis administration is considering criminalising, is an emotive, divisive issue among Bahamians.

 Mr Major’s comments came less than a week after Attorney General Ryan Pinder revealed that the failure to criminalise marital rape was other countries number one human rights concern with The Bahamas during the recent United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review.

 Mr Major said: “I’m not supposed to say this, but I’m troubled by the concept of the rape in the House because people could lie, and the easy way to get out of this husband which I don’t want any more is I gon’ tell people he rape me.

 “Now how you gon’ prove? His sperm is there anyway, all the time. What’s the proof? And don’t fool yourself, some people will get rid of you like that. This is a critical issue here, very critical.” 

 “People lie and they have liars with them cuz we don’t want this man no more. I gat me eye on something fresh. I’m serious. Let’s be careful how we tread this road here now.”