The Tribune

ACTIVISTS and a Senator have spoken out following accusations that a woman was raped and assaulted by a sitting Member of Parliament.

The Tribune reported on Monday that a number of accusations have been made by the woman, whose name has been withheld as she is an alleged victim of assault, but who is being referred to by The Tribune under the pseudonym Jane Rolle.

She claimed that the MP raped, choked and struck her and made death threats against her and her family.

Ms Rolle told The Tribune that she had been having difficulty sleeping and was having panic attacks. She also said she had filed a complaint with police on April 7 in Grand Bahama. The Tribune is withholding the name of the MP because he has not been charged with a crime.

 Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis called the reports “absolutely horrifying”, adding: “Jane Rolle’s accounts of the alleged statements made by the investigating officers in Grand Bahama underscore the need for all persons to have access to specialised domestic violence units in the police force. Many victims have experienced the same or similar treatment when they have made complaints against their partners. This must end.

 “Assault, rape and threats of death are serious offences and they must be investigated as a matter of urgency and with victim sensitivity, whether they happen in or out of a romantic relationship.”

 She added: “The alarming rate of violence against women and girls, in The Bahamas, is an indication that we have not done enough and that we must act with urgency to strengthen laws and resources in place to protect the most vulnerable in our community.

 “Women are being raped, threatened and murdered by their partners and the Minister of Social Services and Urban Development does not see the urgent need to ‘rush’ to move the Gender-Based Violence bill. We need more protections and resources to combat this scourge of violence against women and girls.

 Human Rights Bahamas said they were “extremely disturbed” by the reports, especially that the MP had yet to be interviewed by law enforcement.

 In a statement, the group said: “In The Bahamas, anyone accused of committing a crime is to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and this standard applies to each and every individual regardless of race, gender, nationality or social status. Likewise, everyone must receive equal treatment when it comes to the investigation and, if necessary, the prosecution of criminal complaints made against them.

 “No one is above the law – this statement should be self-evident in a modern democratic society. Sadly however, in The Bahamas it appears to require constant repetition and reinforcement, especially when powerful members of society are involved. Far too often, the political elite are afforded privileges and advantages when it comes to law enforcement that the average Bahamian will never enjoy.”

 The organisation highlighted incidents of “intimidation and coercion” in the past, saying there had been “countless miscarriages of justice as a result of this unacceptable bias in favour of the privileged and connected”.

 It said: “That the complainant in this current matter says police attempted to cause her to sign a document waiving her legal rights is therefore concerning, but sadly, not surprising.

 “The MP in question should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, but this extremely serious complaint should be investigated without fear or favor, and with the same vigor as would such a complaint against any other member of society.”

 HRB called for police to interview the MP “immediately, and with the same rigor, diligence and attention to detail that the Royal Bahamas Police Force reserves for others who are similarly accused. There cannot be one standard for the powerful and another for everyone else”.

 The group added: “Finally, the Davis administration has paid much lip service to women’s rights and the fight against gender-based violence. If this posture is to be taken seriously, the government must back up its words with substance publicly to encourage law enforcement to investigate all crimes against women thoroughly and transparently, letting the chips fall where they may.”

 Equality Bahamas, meanwhile, called gender-based violence “a public health crisis” and called for the MP to be dismissed by Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

 The organisation said that reports from the alleged victim “includes actions and inactions by police to impede her access to justice”.

 The group added: “The survivor shared numerous effects of the violence she experienced on her physical and mental health.

 “Survivors need to be able to confidently and confidentially report gender-based violence, be assured of access to justice, and receive immediate resources and support services, including safe housing and mental healthcare. The Government of The Bahamas must implement the Strategic Plan to Address Gender-Based Violence which has been shelved for several years since being tabled in the House of Assembly in February 2016.”

 Director of Equality Bahamas Alicia Wallace said: “Ms Rolle’s is one of many survivor stories that point to corruption, abuse of power, and deliberate protection of violent criminals. In addition to demanding legal reform to promote and uphold women’s human rights, we are demanding our inherent right to equal protection of the law. While no one is above the law, we see, every day, that money and titles make it possible for people to circumvent the law when weak people controlling flawed systems approve it.”

 The group cited the obligation of The Bahamas to end gender-based violence against women and girls, adding: In its Concluding Observations in 2018, the CEDAW Committee recommended that the government ensure that the police and courts expeditiously address complaints from women and girls about gender-based violence, and ‘develop an action plan to eliminate discriminatory gender stereotypes, which incite violence against women and girls, and establish monitoring mechanisms to assess the impact of such measures’. It called for adoption of the gender-based violence bill, criminalisation of marital rape, and ensuring cases of gender-based violence are investigated and prosecuted.”

 Ms Wallace added: “The Government of The Bahamas voluntarily ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1993. Thirty years later, its failure to come into compliance with the Convention continues. The ratification of CEDAW is a commitment to the people of The Bahamas, to women and girls in particular, made through the United Nations treaty body, and it is accountable to us. Today, Equality Bahamas calls upon the Prime Minister of The Bahamas to immediately dismiss the accused Member of Parliament, rebuke gender-based violence and its perpetrators, and allocate the necessary resources for the implementation of the Strategic Plan to Address Gender-Based Violence as a measure to prevent and intervene in cases of gender-based violence and support the growing number of survivors.”