(Jamaica Observer) MONTEGO BAY, St James — Pointing to statistics showing that four out of every five young girls lost their virginity to rape or molestation, Attorney General Marlene Malahoo Forte yesterday lamented that Jamaica has a serious problem with sexual abuse.
Malahoo Forte did not state the source of the data. At the same time, the former sexual offences prosecutor and judge said that women do not make suitable jurors in rape cases.
“One of the things I learned as a prosecutor, in empanelling a jury, don’t choose women on a rape case, because women judge other women so harshly when it comes to sexual matters,” Malahoo Forte said in an address at the official launch of the Miss Montego Bay Pageant 2019 held at the Blue Beat in St James.
According to the attorney general, while people tend, at first, to believe a woman who has reported being raped, doubt creeps in once attempts are made to take the matter to court.
“When we hear about the story outside of the courtroom, we believe it. But the minute we engage the formal process for the criminal to be brought to book, we start doubting the woman. And we start wondering if she had brought it on herself,” Malahoo Forte said.
Following the function, the attorney general told the Jamaica Observer that the Government regards the issue of sexual violence seriously and is committed to doing all it can to ensure that the right laws and penalties are in place. She said efforts are also being made to strengthen the investigative aspect of cases in order to bring perpetrators to justice.
“We have also gone beyond the tabling of the Sexual Harassment Bill because even before you get to the physical attack, there is often the verbal, the psychological, the emotional attack. And we have put before the Parliament a new groundbreaking piece of legislation that is to be reviewed by a joint select committee as part of the parliamentary process,” Malahoo Forte said.
“We are strengthening the victim support unit through the justice system. The Ministry of Justice has been rolling out programmes and strengthening existing ones. So, sexual violence and sexual abuse is something that the Administration that I am a part of views very strongly,” added Malahoo Forte.