The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

MORE than a month after a man was charged with having unlawful sex with a 15-year-old Harbour Island girl, Dr Jamil Minnis, a gynaecologist and the son of former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, was charged yesterday with helping the girl get an abortion.

Alonzo Pinder, 24, was remanded in custody accused of having sexual relations with the girl on September 12. Pinder is accused of having had sex with the teenager between July 1 and 31, 2023.

Dr Minnis, the 45-year-old mother and 25-year-old sister of the girl were charged yesterday with “intentionally and unlawfully” causing the 15-year-old to abort a fetus while on Harbour Island on September 4.

 The girl’s relatives, whose identities are being withheld to protect her identity, were also charged with conspiracy to commit abortion. 

 The accused filed emergency applications and were later granted bail in the Supreme Court at $15,000 each with one or two sureties. All three must sign in at a police station in their community once a week.

 Dr Minnis was freed after his family posted bail, but the women remained in police custody up to press time.

 Damian Gomez, KC, Ian Cargill and Cassie Bethell represent Dr Minnis while Heather Hunt represents the female defendants. They will return to court on December 1 to receive a voluntary bill of indictment to fast-track their case to the Supreme Court.

 Although abortion is illegal in most circumstances in The Bahamas, many believe a robust underground culture of the practice exists. Still, reports of people being charged with the crime are rare. A police spokesperson alerted reporters in a WhatsApp group yesterday that a medical doctor was being charged with the offence.