By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis says he doesn’t think National Security Minister Wayne Munroe should resign in the wake of backlash about his recent controversial comments concerning a child sex case involving a 40-year-old man.
Mr Davis said he believed the situation was a learning experience for the minister and has taught him that it’s best to keep his personal views to himself.
There have been calls for Mr Munroe’s resignation in recent days after he told reporters last week that a 40-year-old man who was charged with unlawful sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl had in his opinion received a sentence that was too severe.
The man was sentenced by the Supreme Court to four years in prison as part of a plea deal. After he serves his time, he will be on probation for three years.
However, Mr Munroe said had he defended the man, he would not have accepted a plea deal because it was not rape and that the girl had consented.
The next day, Mr Munroe released a statement expressing deep regrets that his comments had caused public concern. He did not take back his earlier statements.
Yesterday, Mr Davis refused to directly comment on the case, but said perpetrators of child sex crimes deserve to be punished to “the fullest extent of the law.”
The prime minister also conceded that there is a need to strengthen the country’s laws to better protect women and children and said he has tasked the attorney general to conduct a comprehensive review of current legislation in that regard.
“We have to appreciate that sentencing is in the purview of the judge and the court and it is not for me or anyone else to comment on what the judge may have done,” Mr Davis said at a press conference when asked for his thoughts about the case.
“We may have our view as to what we may have done but it is what the judge did. Now insofar as sentencing in respect to crime against women, I have made myself implicitly clear. We need to protect our women. We need to ensure that the laws are enforced to the utmost so as to deter further assaults on our women and to deter the violence against women and that is my position and I continue you to say so.”
As for calls for Mr Munroe’s resignation, the prime minister said he didn’t believe the situation warranted such a response.
He said: “He has already expressed his regrets in my conversations with him and if you hear what he has to say it appears to be more about his personal view and he has to come to learn as a young politician that when he holds the post as he does, his personal views may be best kept to himself.”
Comments
pro_test 2 years ago
If the people would take their emotions out of it and listen to what he said their would be no call for a resignation. What I heard was that Someone got 7 years for rape and this was not a rape case and 4 years was high when you call it a deal and most likely he would of gotten the same 4 years had he went to trial. But what these persons who is screaming resignation heard was he said that 4 years is too much. Boy oh Boy. It's like selling me a product the cost $100 and you gave me the best possible price you could of given me and that's $100 and then you turn around and said you gave me a deal.
moncurcool 2 years ago
There you go. Didn't expect Davis to do anything different. Sad, shameful, and downright tragic.
tribanon 2 years ago
Bingo!
Davis's refusal to insist Munroe resign or be fired sends a very loud and clear message to all right thinking Bahamians, especially mothers and their young children. We now have every reason to assume Davis and his fellow cabinet ministers are not only not appalled by the abhorrent views and beliefs of both Munroe and Williams, but share those same most disgusting and repugnant views and beliefs.
Davis will come to regret not having taken the only appropriate tough action towards addressing the plight of many abused minors in our country today. And that action would have been the necessary firing of Munroe on the spot, no if's and's or but's!
birdiestrachan 2 years ago
Mr: Munroe will do well. there is no need for him to resign.
tribanon 2 years ago
Munroe's voice is now about as dead as yours has been for quite some time now, but he's pure kryptonite for Davis so many of us were actually hoping Davis would foolishly do the wrong political thing and keep him on. LMAO
sheeprunner12 2 years ago
Appears that Davis & Munroe are locked at the hip ...... We shall see how this ends. The foot soldiers have started to murmur ...... Not good for them
carltonr61 2 years ago
The PLP is hiding the data on the percentage of mothers who trafficked their children for repulsive reasons. The Bahamas is afraid to wake up women in general.
carltonr61 2 years ago
If a male alludes to parental child sex Trafficking he has his morality and professionalism kicked at. It would take a bold woman of integrity to seek into the truths Galanos has been fairly or exceptionally frank for a female lawyer in presenting data or lack of data. But the truth hurts as it is not agenda based squewed to hide reality. She tells the hard, professional, painful facts. Take it or leave it and she is not popular among women groups. She said ALLLLLL abused women drop their charges against their lovers. When the young girls are allowed to speak about influences, guidance, whom turn the blind eye to a easing of financial burdens, then many organizations will put their advertising budgets into suring up homes with young females with what they need most in emotional, financial, physical or theroputic help. The pedophile pattern of opportunustic supply and demand, interchangeable prey or victim pool is huge. We have Junkanoo practice and Goombey introduction to underage sex and Marijuana use exposures prime time events. Three months later is a baby born to drumbeat, conch and banana, weed, Henny, gun, peas and corn. Try tame this wild Bahamas. 🙏
stillwaters 2 years ago
Elephant in the room.......whole families sometimes live in a house this young girl's 'man' is paying for........and on the money he gives her, so nobody says a word when she's only 14 or 15 years old. Until this is addressed, we won't get to the root of the problem.
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