The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

A RAPE case against a Royal Bahamas Defence Force officer was dropped due to “inconsistent evidence,” according to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Meanwhile, the RBDF woman marine who was the complainant in the case has expressed disappointment that she was not informed beforehand that the case was going to be withdrawn.

A junior officer was charged on February 15 with the alleged rape of the woman marine which prosecutors claim took place on February 5 at the RBDF base in Matthew Town, Inagua.

The accused was not required to enter a plea to the charge when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt.

He was out on $9,000 bail and suspended from his duties when Director of Public Prosecutions Garvin Gaskin dropped the charges against him last week, claiming insufficient evidence to hold a rape charge. The case was dropped under Section 125 of the Penal Code.

The 32-year-old woman marine, who spoke with The Tribune this week, is upset at the handling of the matter. “I spoke with the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) and his whole reasoning was that he felt the case wasn’t strong enough to present to the grand jury,” the woman marine said.

“So he decided not to pursue it. Basically I was disappointed and upset from when this whole ordeal began. I did not hear anything from the prosecution’s office and to find out that they withdrew the case without even informing me as the complainant, was like a slap in my face. I felt that my cries went unheard... So where does that leave me?

Asked what’s next for her now that the charges have been dropped, the woman marine was uncertain, but said the backlash she received for telling her story was overwhelming.

“I am still trying to heal from this whole ordeal because going through this, this really opened up my eyes. Dealing with this ordeal, the backlash that I received... was like a crushing blow to me.

“I mean I got some support, but those who were more vocal against me were females. Even when I initially reported it, the female police officers were making sport of me to the point where I had to complain to the head of the CDU which is a female. She apologised on their behalf.

“Now I don’t have much faith in the system... In the public’s opinion, it looks as though I lied.

“I am now starting to regret that I even made a report initially as this is what I was trying to avoid… this whole backlash. Then to open up myself to the process of being humiliated in terms of doing a rape kit and having to tell the story to multiple people and people looking down on you and making you feel like you’re less than.”

The Tribune reached out to Mr Gaskin for a comment as to why the case was dropped. “The evidence was strikingly inconsistent,” said Mr Gaskin. “When something is brought to my attention, I have to act appropriately.”