Lenny Priest suggests new law as deterrent to violence against women | THE DAILY HERALD

Lenny Priest

PHILIPSBURG–National Alliance (NA) board president and election candidate Leonard “Lenny” Priest is proposing a new law which would see tougher punishment for the perpetrators of violence against women.

Priest’s call comes as St. Maarten joined the rest of the world in observing November 25 as Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on the anniversary of the deaths of three women in the United States in 1981.

The UN General Assembly designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on December 17, 1999.

“Violence against women in the Caribbean is not a new phenomenon in that it can be traced back since the days of slavery. The problem in the Caribbean is of such magnitude that unless there are tougher laws in place to act as a deterrent, the problem will persist,” Priest said in a press release on Sunday.

“In many cases it is regarded as an everyday normal occurrence, with some woman even accepting that it is their partner’s right to abuse them if they displease him. We claim to be part of the modern age and it’s time we begin acting like it, and this includes implementing laws that are standard in most developed countries.”

He said he is almost certain that the island’s only shelter for victims of domestic violence could reveal data that would be very alarming to the public. “However, no matter what that data is, if only one female suffers because of violence against her, it is one too many.”

He is suggesting that St. Maarten implement a law similar to the United States Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). VAWA was a United States federal law signed by then-President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994.

It provided billions of dollars toward investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress (compensation for injuries sustained) in cases prosecutors chose to leave un-prosecuted. VAWA also established the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice.

“There have been many women over the years in St. Maarten who have lost their lives at the hands of an abusive partner and while none of the situations are acceptable or forgivable, we must do all we can to protect our women and children against violence and that means having the appropriate laws in place,” Priest said.

“I believe that such a law will receive bipartisan support, as this is not a political issue but in some cases the difference between life and death.

“There are many persons in society who will join me in a call for tougher laws to punish perpetrators of violence against women, explaining that the lack of judicial interference is a great challenge, as there is a lack of victim support in many cases. The perpetrator is often never arrested and no attempts made to offer any type of workshops/education to the perpetrator.”

He said St. Maarten must do everything within its power to make violence against women a thing of the past by supporting the establishment of tougher laws; establishing community violence prevention programmes as well as education and rehabilitation programmes for the victims and the perpetrators; and providing sufficient funding for these programmes.

“There are many things we can all do to help put an end to this problem and certainly to make the offenders know it will not go unpunished. It is time we take a stand against this problem and I believe introducing such a law is a gigantic step in the right direction. I do hope it’s something all parties can come together to see it becomes a reality,” Priest said.

“It is also very important that proper victim support services to assist the victims are necessary and that the police require specialist training and dedicated units to deal with abused victims and child abuse.

“The greatest fear that most victims have other than the embarrassment of the incident is that before leaving the station the abuser is aware that a complaint has been filed against him. The victims must have confidence that their complaints will be handled and not revealed to the perpetrators.

“We all will agree that the abusers must be punished for their crime more frequently and be put before the judge, and if a custodial sentence is not an option, then a mandatory workshop or programme must be in place for the abuser to attend.

“Let’s not make this just another year we all pay lip service on the day and do nothing to solve the problem. Let’s stand up for our women and put the proper laws in place to protect them, let’s draft that new law or amend any existing laws that can be enforced in record time,” Priest noted.

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92770-lenny-priest-suggests-new-law-as-deterrent-to-violence-against-women

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