Stiffer penalties coming for sexual crimes

Parliament has passed a Bill which paves the way for increased penalties for persons convicted of sexually related crimes in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Bill, which is an Amendment to the Criminal Code Chap 171 of the Laws of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Revised edition, 2009, was passed during the sitting of Parliament on Thursday April 4, 2024.

The new piece of legislation was piloted by Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, who is also this country’s Minister of National Security.

Leading off debate on the Bill, Dr Gonsalves outlined the increases in penalties for a number of sexual offences.

Under the new piece of legislation, a person convicted of sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 15 years, will now spend 15 years in jail, instead of the previous five year penalty.

Children with disabilities were also taken into consideration and the penalty for intercourse with a defective has also moved from five to 15 years in jail.

Indecent assault of a child under the age of 15 years now carries a 10 year penalty, instead of the previous five years.

In his presentation on the Bill, the Prime Minister indicated that there are some sexual offences, for which no changes in penalties were made.

These include rape, and intercourse with a child under the age of 13.

He explained that the maximum penalties for each of these offences is already life imprisonment.

The Laws related to buggery and other same sex offences have not been amended as yet, and Dr Gonsalves said these offences are to become part of a wider review.

In his contribution to the debate on Thursday, Minister of National Mobilization, Orando Brewster quoted data from the Child Development Division which shows that in 2023, there was a slight increase in the reported cases of child abuse, over 2022.

The minister said last year, there were 241 reported cases of child abuse in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Of this number, 43% were victims of neglect and abandonment, 37% victims of child abuse, 15% physical abuse and 3% suffered psychological abuse.

Minister Brewster noted the timeliness of the amendment, especially in this month, when St Vincent and the Grenadines joins the rest of the world in observing Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month.

Minister Brewster, whose portfolios also include Social Development, Family, Gender Affairs, Youth stated that the amendments show “that we value our women”.

“We value our women not only by words, but what we are seeing here today.”

In his support for the amendment to the Criminal Code, the minister said the new Law is a “step in the right direction.”

Other Parliamentarians on both sides of the House also contributed to the debate on the Bill before it was passed.