Magistrate Tiyani Behanzin has spoken against a recent upsurge in child sexual abuse on the island, reasoning that the age of consent should be changed from 16 to 18 years.
Addressing a forum at the Trafalgar Community Center Monday night, Behanzin frowned heavily on persons committing such offenses and the families who support them by accepting bribes to keep silent, while children continue to be abused.
“What I think is a serious epidemic … is sexual attacks on little girls … Increasingly, I would say 60 to 70 percent of the matters sent (to high court) involve sexual attacks on children and nobody’s saying anything,” the magistrate said.
“I cannot understand this one.Families are taking money from men that interfere sexually with their children under five, under 10, under 15, under 14. Mothers are taking money. Fathers are taking money. Families are taking money. We should be ashamed of our selves … to allow that to go on in the society and do nothing about it. We should be ashamed of ourselves. We shouldn’t call ourselves human beings anymore. We have reduced ourselves to animals if we can do that,” Behanzin charged.
Behanzin referred to a complaint which he received from an individual requesting that a law be introduced to make it a crime for parents and family members to accept money from accused sexual offenders for abusing their children. “Children are not to be sold for just a few thousand dollars, and sometimes for less than a few hundred, and the law should be changed to make it a crime…” the complaint read.
The magistrate presented what he referred to as non-expert opinions which he believed may help reduce the level of child sexual abuse locally. He suggested laws with conditions which prohibit the granting of bail for accused sexual offenders who attack girls under 14 at the magisterial level; and an extension of the age of consent.
“You should not get bail for rape of children under 14. First we should change the age of consent from 16 to 18, because at sixteen it may be that your body as far as the state currently says is ready. But certainly you cannot be ready at 16. That becomes a burden on the family to which the 16-year-old resides…,” he said.
Behanzin also proposed that bail for offenses such as rape only be granted by a sitting high court judge or a panel of magistrates who would be allowed to sit and listen to the substantive evidence of a case to decide whether to grant bail or not. These judges or magistrates should then recuse themselves from the case from then on, Behanzin suggested.
The magistrate expressed confidence in the sentences provided by the Sexual Offenses Act, but argued that there may be a need for the revision of the types of sentences administered.
“Reading the sexual offenses act, which is fairly new, the penalties range from 14 years for rape right up to 25 years so I think it’s adequate. The sentences passed don’t tend to come close to these but I think the sentence provision in the sexual offenses act is adequate. But I think that the type of sentence that we have been passing need to send a different kind of message to those who are persistence in sexual offenses…” he noted.
“What is the most determined sentence that you can pass to a persistent sexual offender, somebody who rapes multiply” Should the state consider chemical castration?- a chemical injection is applied and that it. It goes to sleep? Should the state consider that?…what should the penalty be? It’s not for me to say. But it’s a debate the society needs to have and have it now. Because we are at that point where we have a serious problem with sexual attacks on children,” he stated.
Behanzin is also convinced that the length of time before a matter is heard at the courts also hinder the prosecution process.
“We are a God fearing nation, we cannot, we cannot allow that to go on and sit and pretend we don’t know it’s happening. It’s happening beside us, it’s happening in our homes, it’s happening in our neighbours homes and we need to find a way to say enough is enough. If you’re not going to say that then let the figures continue to rise. But then we produce a generation who have been spoilt, who have been damaged beyond repair. So the children they produce will also be spoilt,. The society in the future will have a problem,” the Magistrate pleaded.
The meeting at Trafalgar was held as part of the community’s ongoing Fete Kaiche’ celebrations.
this is really funny…………even if u make the age of consent 18 …..piple younger than that is gonna pretend that they are older than eighteen or are going to have sex where both parties consent whether or nt its l
I support that idea 16 years u still a child at 18 you are an adult u are considered grown.
but mark u some girls are having sex as young as 12 and 13 years and their parents cannot do anything about it. so many of the young girls go out there and guys offer them money, top up, KFC, subway and phones wen the guys have sex with them they don’t get wat was promised they say is rape… 16 years u should be thinking of your future not SEX!
@What!?:
” Did it ever occur to you–in all your infinite wisdom–that your child may have had dyslexia”
Yes, the thought came to me, but you must understand However, if the focus is on a single letter perhaps dyslexia could be ruled out, We would first have to think in terms of complete Cortical Functioning. In other cases, however, this phenomenon results in cerebral confusion.
The reading disorder dyslexia, in which otherwise intelligent people may reverse the order of letters or syllables in words, and words in sentences, has been attributed in some cases to such a lack of cerebral dominance.
In my son case he concentrated on a single letter the ” R”, therefore I ruled out the theory of dyslexia, assuming he had difficulties reading, and disorienting a multiple of letters in and out of senescence, then I could have concluded he had the reading disorder dyslexia.
That was not the case.
For your information:
Another aspect of cerebral interaction is that each side of the brain exerts control over the other.
The dominant, more intellectual hemisphere prevents rash emotional displays by the nondominant hemisphere, on the other hand, the emotional side of the brain urges us to take time out from routine and to fantasize or do something spontaneous for a change.
This lays to rest the common misconception that we have “two brains” and that one dominates the other.
The two cerebral hemispheres have perfect and almost instant communication with one another via connecting fiber tracts, as well as complete integration of their functions. Furthermore although lateralization means that each hemisphere is better than the other at certain functions, neither side is better at everything.
I hope you understand what I try to convey to you!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
@What!?:
Yes, I did spank him: As a result he learned to do the right thing.
I was spanked by my grandmother also, yet I hold no anger, because I eventually came to fully understand the meaning; of spear the Rod, and spoil the child.
You can read that in the book of Proverbs. (It is written in the Bible).
It is one thing to brutalized a child, and another to chastised, and correct a child. Whipping my kid does not mean I abused, or brutalized him, nor do I consider the chastisement from my grandmother did any damage to me.
As a matter of fact, her chastisement made me into the person I am today. I never got involved in anything involving police and the breaking of the law.
To crown it all, my grandmother told me one day you will understand why I had to whip you; in the process suggesting I better learn to read and write a letter of my own.
From the day she told me that, I went all out to develop my mind educationally, as a result today I have in my possession, four scientific degrees, which comprises a Bachelor in Science in Electronic Engineering, another Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering, an Associate in Science in Electronic Engineering, and also an Associate in Arts, in the Liberal Arts.
Remember I was born in the Village of Wesley, where every educational condition was against me, however when I left with the discipline and advised my late grandmother gave to me, it followed me. Thus, I was able to mold my children the same way my Grandmother molded me.
As a result, my two biological daughters, and son, and one adapted Son, has done exactly as I taught them; as a result they are all here in Califorina where not one have committed a crime, never serve time in jail, they are all very successful, owning and operating their business, which ranges from an entertainment business in the Gambling Capital of the World Las Vegas, to a medical business, and an Insurance entity, along whit a long distance Trucking business.
May be if parents in Dominica would once in a while discipline their children by not sparing the Rod, and spoil the child; perhaps we would not have so many rapes occurring in our country.
Perhaps so many of our youths would not be just sitting around strong out on drugs, and every illicit drugs known to man.
Use me as an example perhaps it could help you to help your children to do the right thing.
Finally, though I am an Electronic/Electrical Engineer by profession.
I also have a medical ( as in medicine) background.
Carpentry, Motor mechanic all are in my blood, so the spankings that I got from Margarita Alfred ( Ma John) Etnioffe served me well, and I appreciate every single whipping she gave me.
I would hope that my children understand also.
At lease they grew up here, and not one of them got themselves killed, although my Junior Francisco was standing on a lawn attending a party, and some Mexican’s hooligans drove by and shoot-up the party, and he was hit several times to a point where doctors had to remove all of his intestines so that they could extract fragments of bullets out of him.
That was not his fault anyway, he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time!
Remember, I do not impose my wishes on anyone, If you can use something I say for your benefit, I am happy, do not critique me unless you have something better to offer.
Be introduced to my Website: http://www.yvonnedods.com I suggest you visit my site probable you will find something there by which you could me entertained.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
@leroy: Boy you have me cracking up. I agree though.
Good
What the double standard of age of consent of being 16 and you being an Adult at 18. Yes this two does not add up. For you to be able to consent you must be an adult – 18 years. Come on amend the constitutiion if this 16 yrs thing is in there to 18 yrs. Adult age has already dropped from 21 to 18.
Do you realise how we destroying our girls. Why because they are confused and most of them who wants to have their way is just waiting to be 16 so my Mum and Dad cannot say anything to me. Let us correct this confusion. Men if this was done to satisfy you, then now is the time to get this age to 18. Some of you men even you would like to have a young chick, remember you will be or is already a father to a girl.
I agree with this article 100%. Age of consent should even be 20 years. Too much damn nonsense happening in Dominica with little girls and not forgetting boys getting raped and the law can not do anything because who ever raped them also underage and all that crap!
Its true that a lot of young girls start having sex very early even at the age of 8 but that does not make it right. Even at 16 years you are still a child. You are still very dependent on your parents. I have 3 nieces, the oldest being 12 and I’d hate for no lil boy to mess around with her and get away with it. Underage says the law but underage enough to pull a root and damage pple children.
Parents themselves that take money and have your lil girl or boy being sexually abused, you don’t deserve to have children at all and there should be a law for you guys as well. At the end of it either the cycle continues with future generations, depression, and a few may get over it.
Either way, place some laws for these mindless abusers and wicked mothers and fathers who call themselves parents.
@Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque:
You spanked your child because he wrote the letter “R” backwards and you come on here trying to school us about imprinting and attachment styles? You must be joking!! Did it ever occur to you–in all your infinite wisdom–that your child may have had dyslexia which is a common neurological disorder that causes people to see, read, and write some letters backwards? Or, maybe your child was just being a CHILD, and that with some gentle coaching he would have learned the correct way to write his letters? Moreover, did it ever occur to you that you (as an attachment figure in your child’s life) can imprint violent behavior onto your child when you beat him so early in his life? You write this essay on DNO seemingly to show us how smart you are (since it has nothing to do with age of consent), yet you freely admit to “spanking” your child for such a mild offense? I wonder what you did to him when he REALLY misbehaved? You should let that story fade into oblivion and not re tell it because it has the opposite effect for which you were hoping. It makes you look ignorant and abusive, not heroic.
BTW, how’s Junior doing?
I Leroy Richards say we get rid of Tony Astaphans & the Labour party regime and make Tiyani Behanzin (Douglas) senior counsellor & advisor to the Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit. Let’s start appreciating Mr. Behanzin for his good works.
I love this man…..Is not now Dominica need a person especially a law maker who is in a position to make changes to hand down some justice in our not so peaceful anymore country to speak his mind and not be a hypocrite and involve politics in everything. I have read articles posted here about this magistrate and gives me some hope because I had long given up home in the justice system of this country. So much, that I felt motivated that maybe I should go back to college to become a lawyer. For those of you who don’t see any good in this man, think of your daughters, nieces, cousins and the number of cases of assault on little girls that we read of on this website. Some so disgusting that I cannot read the article. Keep doing what are are doing Magistrate Behanzin!!!! A very close friend of my family was recently murdered in Marigot by a person who has already murdered previously, and I cannot wait to see how this case is going to be handled because the justice system in our country needs so much help.
This is one of the very few times I agree with the Magistrate. I also, believe any man who hurt a child in anyway should be put to death or castrated. Period.
This man is right there are too many perverts on the loose .Age of concent should be 25 and anyone who sleeps with an under age child should go to jail for a long long time.
@de caribbean change:
you sound like a 50 year old virgin. llol
as the magistrate wat age he break his virgin…. i bet it was before 18………..
Muslims marry girl children to old men at age 12. This Islamic magistrate is a HYPOCRITE. Sharia law stone women to death and cut off hands. Tell him to go and meet his Jihad breathen in an Arabic country
The age of consent should be 50.
this man knows what his talking about i live in a french country where the law do not play with that kind of mess they lock u up and throw away the key under age or not they are dealt with parent teach your children at an early age so it will be a part of them in thier hearts that i asi girl must not let people touch me and i as a boy must not touch little girls as for they parents who accept money in sxm’french’trust me those kids would be taken from them we need more men like him in our homes, schools ect.
@Concerned Citizen:
Although you firmly believe what you are saying, to me some of it does not register accurately.
We learn as our mind, and in fact brain develops don’t we?
Remember life itself is a learning process, I learn to read at home before entering primary school. My son Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque Jr, wrote his first letter at about three and half years old. How did that happened:
He was born on the island of Antigua, I took him to Dominica at two years old to visit with my late grandmother, who introduce him to boiled (cooked) bananas and salt fish, the kid loved that dish so much that long after our visit, he asks me if he wrote a letter to his great grandmother, would I mail the letter to her?
I thought my son was actually kidding, until I saw him sat and wrote a letter to my grandmother, asking her to send him some ” green figs ” (bananas).
I was astonished.
He had not yet attend kindergarten, however, from the time he could understand, and communicate, I started teaching him how to count from one to a hundred, I also taught him his alphabet, and, and taught him how to form sentences, by writing.
The only problem we encountered in the process was that he wrote the letter ” R ” backwards, so I had to spank it out of him, and by that I mean literally whipped him, thus he learn the proper orientation of the R.
I say all of the above to introduce you to the following!
Have you ever heard the word ” imprinting?”
I am sure you probable heard of that judging from reading what you wrote, I am certain that you are above the average person who commented on the subject matter.
Nonetheless, I must remind you that when we mention the word imprinting as it relates to human growth, and intelligence we must define imprinting as the rapid, innate learning within a critical period of time that involves attachment to the first moving object seen.
If we think in terms of a chicken or goslings, we find the critical period for imprinting is the first 36 hours after birth. So, is there a critical period for learning, and attachment in human infants?
I say yes!
Though not hours, or days, nonetheless, a longer, more flexible sensitive period does exist.
Many developmental psychologist believe that attachment to the caregiver in humans during the first year provides an important foundation for later development.
This view has been especially emphasized in recent years by Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Bowlby (1969, 1988, 1989).
All of this said, to simply make the point, that a child’s mind will not be raped by teaching sex education in Schools, and at home. As a matter of fact the parent of a child should hold themselves responsible to educate their children in the areas of sex education.
A child starts to learn even before they can speak!
It is imperative to note that language and cognitive development, as well as social development, should be emphasized. Conversation between the caregivers and children should be plentiful, and attention should be given to stimulating the children’s cognitive abilities; books for children should be readily available for the child to read, rather than spending long hours watching all kinds of immoral television programs, which could stimulate their appetite for sexual intercourse.
Any way we may have both taken this out of context, since the focus should be on the culprits, the rapist who prey; on as my hero said, five year old children.
These children are not in any way responsible for the vicious sexual acts perpetrated on them. They are always unwilling participants.
To the great magistrate; which I consider to be Dominica’s only hero, I say you have done a fantastic job thus far, and I encourage that you continue in the path you have chosen!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Some of the comments here are so disgusting. Especially the ones who say they should lower the age to 12 or that what Behanzin proposes would not work because how can you prosecute a 17 year old boy who had sex with a 16 year old. My goodness. The point of any law is to create a civilized society. It is uncivilized to rape. Only animals take what they want when they want it wihout regard for others. Is that the type of society we prefer? And then when something happens to our family memebers we want to kill people?
The point is once there is a law on the books that say it is unlawful to have sex with a minor, and we describe what a minor is, any allegations of sexual misconduct coming to the police will be prosecuted under that law. So if a 17 year old having sex with her 19 year old boyfriend and they both consent and he is not raping her, more power to them. But if a 17 year old is messing with a 24 year old man, or a 19 year old rapes a 13 year old, that would be unlawful and subject to prosecution. A grown man has no business having sex with a 17 year old. We cannot say we shouldn’t have those laws because what if this and what if that. We as a civilized society have to make laws as abitrary as they may seem or based on scientific evidence so that our sons and daughters will be protected and safe. Full stop.
Anyway, Thank God for people like Mr. Behanzin who have the insight and care to see Dominica to the next level. We as a people should back him up more and bring down those who will oppose him. With all the rampant crime going on in Dominica now, we need him. Otherwise in 5 years, Dominica will be worse than Jamaica.
Sometimes SOME parents are to be blamed for allowing their daughters to be molested by the men they claim to love. They are so blindly in love that they give these men full guardianship over their little girls, even in their absence. I am happy that the judge is talking about this and hope that much more will be done about this. In addition, mothers who allow their children to be molested by the men in their lives should be charged with child neglect.
It is painful to listen to these mothers defend their boyfriends while placing their daughters in dangers, even when reminded of the possibilities. In situations where this is the case, the mothers should be jailed as well as the offenders. Women must protect their daughters.
To the people who are saying the girls are looking for this, you are just pathetic. Whether that is the case or not, the older men must be held responsible. SOmeone needs to be made an example off, so other men will RUN when these little girls are supposedly attacking them. This has been going on for far too long, with the response being that, “it has always been so” thus causing the trend to continue. Enough is enough.
WELL SAID YOUR WORSHIP! It has been a long time since i’ve been wishing that a law like this would be proposed and now u’ve said it loud and clear. I am in total agreement with you and support you every step of the way. No wonder a lot of the legal persons in DA do not like you.. because some of their husbands and relatives fall into the category.
Do what you can.. clean up the streets. If we do not look out for our children, our island will be spoilt. Look out for the little boys too, they are being abused as well. Thank you so much for calling on our sexual offenses act to be reformed. It is absolutely necessary!
Future lawyer
There hasn’t been an upsurge in sexual abuse cases, but an uosurge in the reporting of child abuse by parents. I remember many cases throughout my primary school days 1989 thru 1999 (high school) of kids getting abused by other people and their parents forcing them to keep it hush hush. Don’t get coy and pretend you all don’t know these things were all going on.
Oh Lord becuz Behanzin cah get them he uttering b-ish?
Please!
Them girls ready for their thing! They should decrease it cuz so many 12 and 13 year old girls sexing – its a world thing – not limited to dominica!
Plus, how are the more fortunate men of D/ca going to satisfy their sexual appetite? We all know they buy the 16 yr old girls phones, top up, kfc, clothes and so on!
When Skerro open the porn shop or adult entertainment they can do what they please but for now no means no and those politicians that srewing them lil kids will echo that to him too!
Obviously this magistrate has his foot so far up his a$s that he doesn’t realize that he is in the wrong profession.
If you wan’t to dictate what should and should not be go run for congress i meant parliament and do what these lazy politicians don’t do which is creating bills to pass as laws. No wonder you think you’re the law maker in those harsh sentences you send out only to have them overruled!
As for the age consent, I don’t know. It’s a good idea but some of these girls look quite mature even under 16 and some actually think better than their lazy mothers who deosn’t know what they want. Not to mention their body from all this kfc – get it? lol
On the other hand, we can’t have a nation of 16 year old girls having sex running around – satisfying those pedophilles.
It’s up for debate!
The question i would really want to ask there is “are these measures mentioned by the magistrate going to solve the problem? I do not believe so. The magistrate is speaking from a legal perspective, but the problems go deeper social, psychological etc. Children should be children untill they are grown up. From a medical perspective an individuals brain do not fully develop untill 16 and do not reach full growth untill 24. Does that imply then that the age of consent should be 24? Are we really making comments because it is convenient to us or based on facts. The education system based on self actualization teaches children to be grown. Sex education to children at schools with their brains not yet fully developed is rape of the mind. The music we have our children listen to should be banned they are children. The fashion that we allow our children to wear saying that we have to be in style has to be stopped because they are children and they do not know what they are doing. The little bf’s and gf’s kids have should be stopped immediately. btw as a teenager i used to have gf’s. i was a child and i should have been taken to the psychological ward i was a child and was not thinking rationally. I have only mentioned a few points. please think about it…
I agree with that, if I reponsible for you as a parent until you 18…giving clothing, food and shelter, and looking after your general well being how you can be having sex as you please? And we done know the sexually active ones in that under 18 age group are the most reckless when it comes to protecting themselves. Offcourse the law can make a special case for ’emancipation’ for under 18 year olds who are maintaining themselves, in such a case parent(s) or guardian(s) have to sign.
You know, I believe it is time that someone table a law in our country, making it illegal for parents, guardians, and families of children to accepts money from the predictors who prey on an innocent child, male, or female, sexually.
The habit extends beyond just young girls, little boy’s are also subjected to this abuse in our country, and whereas it would be immoral, and disgraceful to consider a consensual age for boys, allowing these old homosexuals to prey on them; I believe a law prohibiting parents from accepting this immoral monitory bribe should be immediately considered.
What is the difference of a prostitute selling her body sexually, and a ” pimp ” collects the money from the ” John?”
It would appear that there is a similarity in this case; it would appear that these parents in our country is actually prostituting their children all because of the love of money, meanwhile the innocent child is left to suffer throughout their entire life, along with the stigma they carry
The victims of such crimes never forget it, they live with a ” psychological guilt. ” Such guilt has caused some victims to commit suicide at an older age, others have turn to prostitution, while some develop a phobia for men, and even when they inter into a serious relationship resulting in marriage, they burden their husbands with their past, thus sexual conflicts usually hinder a successful sexual relationship.
It is a known fact that some women, never enter a relationship with a man ever, due to such crime that was perpetrated on them while in their innocence.
I know some women in that category, ( Dominicans living here in the United States).
This act of accepting money from rapists, and sexual predictors goes back a long way in Dominica, I remember when I was a small boy, growing up in Wesley, a ( man-animal) from the Village of Calibishie raped a young girl from my village, the lady is still alive, in the late sixties, however to this day she never consider it fit to even consider marriage.
Nonetheless, around 1956/57, her parents collected three ($300.00) hundred dollars, or there about from the rapist mother, thus avoiding her mentally deranged son from suffering the legal consequences for his crime, she later shipped him off to England, during the great migration era.
In 1956/57 three hundred dollars could probable build two 16 X 12 houses, so her father used the money to put an addition on his house, the last time I visited Dominica, the old house was broken down to the ground, nothing remains, yet I still remember the rape of so long ago: If I an not the victim, and I still remember the incident, what does one believe is still revolving in the victims mind?
I do not understand, how someone can accept money from someone who have raped, and ravaged their child, to me it is unconscionable!
When we begin to prosecute the parents, for covering up and protecting these mentally ill ( and indeed they are) mentally ill people for their sexual crimes by accepting money for what should be considered prostitution of their innocent child, then and only then some of these money hungry parents will come to their senses.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
@Love: hi deary,is that 13 year old who raped your daughter still alive?the law decided on one thing,but i would have decided the rest.i am so sorry,and praise God that this magistrate has common sense.
That law would never PASS…To many men love underage girls in Dominica it’s a historical thing going way back and mentality in Dominica is whatever just check out the youtube videos of underage girls dancing provocatively with men twice their age…You think them man would let the judge mess up the scene for them at convent or st martin school hell no..oh and the lack of women in Dominica the judge MAD them man would come out in #’s against it…I personally support the initiative to make the consent 18 age to 100%..
DA4LYFE
and people here love to call themselves christians. Hypocrites!!!!!!!!!!!!
God say that one day he will send his someone to lead us out of eygpt and it is happen now thank you sir you going in all conners in that little dominica to try to clean it up from the police force to the streets.
wow. This is so ture, and to those families taking money after their children have been abused, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Sexual abuse can scar a child for life. A couple of thousand of dollars can do nothing, not even pay the bills for therapy. Our children are suffering at the hands of perverts who prey on them.Lord have mercy
Very well said your honour..
Unlike the women in Dominica who are in the legal profession who only care about their pockets, you are taking a stand for humanity. The “Legal ladies” have formed a gang to destroy you because they know they cannot compare. When the ladies in the legal profession in Dca (Ag, Chief Magistrate, Lawyers etc) humble themselves and join you in the quest for a better society, we will see even better results. Keep up the good work and may god continue to bless and protect you.
I do not even know where to start with my comment, the SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT of Dominica needs serious revision and when things are put in place they need to be enforced. How you telling me a man getting a sentence of three months for a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 5-7 years? absolute rubbish somebody playing games with people children lives, do not worry i will leave them in the hands of Behanzin.
Mr Behanzin means well, and I’m sure that it’s frustrating for a magistrate always to have to see humanity at its worst. Still, there are a few issues with what he proposes.
Raising the age of consent isn’t something that should be done rashly. If it were raised to 18, does that means that if an 18 year old and 17 year old have sex that the older one of them should be sent to Stock Farm as a sex offender? Of course not, and yet if such a law is poorly thought through that’s what could happen.
It’s also unclear why he is tying the issue of raising the age of consent from 16 with rape and coverup of rape in children under that age. They would seem to be largely unrelated issues. For one thing, rape, by definition, means a lack of consent. If there is a relationship between this problem and the proposed solution, it should be better explained.
He also calls for a prohibition of bail on those accused of certain crimes. That may seem appealing, but the point of bail is that in a civilised society, a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty — even those accused of heinous crimes like child rape. If bail is to be denied, that should be because there is actual significant evidence that the accused is a continuing threat to others, not because of the accusation itself.
As a final note, one of the protections that keep a society relatively free is an independent judiciary. That means that magistrates are insulated from meddling by politicians, but it also means that magistrates remember their place when it comes to setting public policy. The judiciary has a valuable role in interpreting the law, but it is not their job to make it. Mr Behanzin should remember this when he starts issuing lists of policy changes that he would like to see, because it may have the unintended consequence of affecting the perception that he is fair and impartial.
It’s a shame on our law maker!! We always claim that we are friendly and respectful nation, but some of our laws show otherwise. The age of consent has been an issue for years and the law makers and the Dcans keep doing nothing about it. Protecting our kids should not be a question!! But we all know none of the law maker would change it (shame!!). They want to keep taking advantage of the young kids. Destroying their morals to satisfy their nasty desire. Issues that should be taken serious are never taken serious by the public. It’s all about sewo and politics in DA. On less it hit home we don’t take it serious. RIGHT? What are we saying about this issue Dcan????????????? It’s not about party colors!! It’s about protecting the innocent ones.
I agree with Magistrate Tiyani Behanzin 100% about changing the age of consent from 16yrs too 18yrs..
Why is it people are so quick to comment on other issues …while people go silent on this issue..
We are all to blame for this rise in rape of children under 16…..
Let us protect our children .
Chemical castration for repeat offenders and let there names be posted in the islands New papers..
just had too say my peace..i will have a daughter some day but god forbid anything like that happen to my daughter…..i know for sure i will go crazy and the person would never be able to hurt any children again….
SO PEOPLE OF DOMINICA WAKE UP , WIPE YOUR EYES AND SEE WHAT’S GOING ON .
I will be watching
RED
@Love:
Oh gosh I am so sorry to hear that. Two young boys of 7 and 8 were in court in England recently for raping a little girl. They not only brought charges on those little boys but the jury found them guilty. Is only in Dominica nonsense like that happens where police say their hands are tied. Thank God for pople like Mr. Behanzin who can see there is a need for changes in our law that will prevent things like that from happening to our children or for punishing those who do those things. Alas, I hope your child is doing well.
What a very smart man. FINALLY, somebody looking out for our children instead of those animals that like to make laws just so they can interfere with our children and say it is legal. I was so angry when the government lowered the age of consent to 16. Sixteen is a baby wee. Never mind a 16 year old can do what an older woman can do. 16 is still a baby. Mr. Behanzin is one of the few inteligent and insightful men Dominica has ever seen and Dominicans would do well to embrace him and his views. He will do much good for us. Raising the age of consent will give the law the right to charge a rapist or a paedophile who commits any act on a child of 17 or below regardless if the parents take money or not. And parents need to take a jail too for accepting money from an animal that spoil your child. Plus the monster would not be able to say the child wanted it. Is straight charge you getting. There are a lot of monsters out there including parents who like to say young girls look for these things to happen to them. What happens then is that our children go unprotected. Raising the age of consent is a huge step forward in protecting our young people. Boy I want to shake Mr. Behanzin’s hand. What a smart man.
Thank you Mr. behanzin my 4 year old daughter was rape by a 13 year old boy and the law say thaet there is nothing they could do to the boy he id underage that hurt me can anyone tell me what Dominica coming to
i agree 100%
Oh boy , I love what this man is doing. the Government and the lawmekers need to team up with him to make lovely Dominica a better place to be.
we are fortunate to have people like mr. behanzin on our island , and i just want him to know that he is doing a fantastic job and that he MUST keep up the good work.i am a great supporter of his and will stand with him what ever way necessary.
Well said sir. We should also protect the most innocent of children…the unborn. We need to stop the abortions that destroying generations to come.
I so agree with this, so many times we turn a blind eye when we know the perpetrators and the families. Child abuse is everybodys business and we should take a stand to curb the problem instead of gossiping about whats going on and not reporting it to the authorities. Lets make that change, to many crimes against humanity goes unpunished.Too many ‘child rights’ are violated.
This could not be said better. It is high time we put our foot down and say enough is enough. Children need protection from all angles.
If only there were more level headed people like our magistrate on this island, we’d progress leaps and bounds.