The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

I am deeply saddened after reading news of a woman being sexually violated by a sex beast during a home invasion in the Marshall Road area of New Providence. I can only imagine how traumatised that family must be. The system continues to fail women and children in our beleaguered communities which are under siege by hardened malefactors. Incidents such as the foregoing, which was printed in The Nassau Tribune, are why we have witnessed a sharp increase in vigilantism. In this regard, successive governments must shoulder some of the blame for the crime situation in Nassau. Where is the outcry from Rights Bahamas and the D’Marco Organisation concerning this disturbing incident?

Women, be they Bahamian or Haitian or whatever ethnicity, appear to be very vulnerable in our patriarchal culture that views them simply as sexual objects. Incidents of rape and other forms of sexual abuse, inclusive of paedophilia, are unacceptably high in a country that has less than 400,000 in population. Punishment for rape and other sex crimes are unduly lenient, in my opinion. Victims are left feeling as if the judicial system and the legal fraternity are both fighting to preserve the freedom and dignity of the criminal element.

This perceived leniency has helped in fostering a culture of misogyny, where would-be rapists are well aware that they would only get a slap on the wrist in the event they’re caught and successfully prosecuted. Bahamians should petition the Free National Movement government to ignore the hue and cry of Amnesty International and other international human rights organisations and implement corporal punishment for rapists and paedophiles. If flogging or caning is administered in a public forum away from the prying eyes of our tourists, it would be an effective deterrent to would-be criminals. Such a barbaric measure would send a strong message to rapists and paedophiles that the government will no longer tolerate the abuse of women and children.

KEVIN EVANS

Grand Bahama

January 15, 2020