The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

A NATIONAL conversation that reflects the public’s will could drive the issue of marital rape to the forefront of the Davis administration’s legislative agenda, according to Press Secretary Clint Watson.

Last week in a tweet from his Twitter account, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said marital rape is wrong and that the country remained one of few in the world where this was not recognised in law. His tweet also noted that should there be a change in this regard he supported there being a national conversation.

Asked by The Tribune about the issue yesterday, Mr Watson was adamant the will of the people would be best articulated through nationwide discourse on marital rape. He said people should not just look to the government for a decision, but seek to learn the positions of groups like the Bahamas Christian Council, as well as human rights and civic groups.

“First of all, I think it’s important to say there are laws already on our books that if any crime is committed whether it be abuse, whether it be sexual assault, all of these are already on our books so these are already criminalised,” Mr Watson said during the weekly press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister.

“So, there are actions that can be taken against people who commit these kinds of acts. The issue of marital rape obviously is a social conversation that has to be had. What I mean by that is it has to incorporate many other organisations like the church, civic groups, women’s rights groups, marriage groups. It has to incorporate a national conversation.

“What you find happening is whenever governments put forth information or a referendum on particular issues sometimes we think it’s going to go a particular way, like the last one we had and it didn’t,” Mr Watson continued. “You would think women’s rights, ‘oh yes everybody wants that’ and then we saw overwhelmingly people voted against it and this has to be a conversation driven by the people.

“Governments can have positions, you would have seen many persons in government have expressed outrage against it and taken the position that they believe it should not happen. . .That’s not enough people in government expressing their views.”

He was referring to the failed June 7, 2016 gender equality referendum where the four referendum questions were overwhelmingly rejected.

“If we want this to become a major discussion and perhaps lead to legislation then let’s build the story around how impactful this is to the country.”

In recent days the issue of domestic violence has also been reignited after a woman was beaten and attacked in the street by a man—reportedly her partner or ex-partner—who then ran her over with his car.

CCTV footage of the domestic abuse spread on social media this week, prompting outrage.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe has said what happened was “completely unacceptable.”

Police confirmed they have a man in custody in connection with the incident, which took place on Key West Street on Monday afternoon.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Audley Peters has said the woman in the video is in critical condition.

The incident has also sparked a discussion at the government level, Mr Watson said.

“The Minister of Social Services and his minister of state have talked about it and that’s a good example again of national issues and people shaping the conversation.

“As tragic as the events are, they caused an outcry among the people and forced the government to consider and take a look at these things. I’m not saying let’s wait for an event to happen because Lord knows we don’t want that to happen, but there has to be an outcry of the issue that will drive the conversation and that has driven this conversation and there are talks in the works.

“Even the Attorney General says that he’s reviewing these laws on the books regarding domestic abuse and violence and so forth to see whether there is any room for strengthening or reforming, but the conversation is being had at the government level, yes,” Mr Watson said.