(Barbados Nation) The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is to determine whether a man can be charged with raping another man in Barbados, as Crown lawyers contend that Section (3) of the Sexual Offences Act is gender-neutral.
The regional panel reserved its decision on the gender-neutral arguments and counter-argument in the case of Stephen Alexander Alleyne, 48, of Crusher Site Road, Prospect, St James, who was charged with having unlawful sexual intercourse with a man on August 2, 2015, without his consent, contrary to Section (3) (1) of the Sexual Offences Act. He is being represented by attorney Arthur Holder.
Magistrate Elwood Watts tossed out the case and the Crown appealed, and the Court of Appeal upheld the magistrate’s decision that a man could not rape another man.
Principal Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney yesterday submitted that the CCJ dissolve the Court of Appeal’s decision and uphold that Section (3) of the act was gender-neutral and not gender-specific.