Warning for men as Grange charts path for domestic violence law
Published:Thursday | June 9, 2022 | 12:12 AM
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange has warned men who are sexually abusing children and women to halt the heinous crime, declaring that they will be found and prosecuted.
The warning came Wednesday after the minister shared a shocking story of a blind woman who sought help from her after being sexually abused by two men at the place she was living.
Grange said that the woman’s eight-year-old child was also at risk.
The woman reportedly visited Gordon House twice as she sought assistance from the gender affairs minister.
“She was in tears. She came with only the clothes on her back, and the little girl who was sitting next to her throughout the entire conversation I had with this lady, the little girl was fast asleep,” Grange said.
The woman reportedly told Grange that her child was sleeping because she had stayed up with her at night.
“It brought tears to my eyes,” said Grange, who reported that the police were called and a statement was given and the woman and her child were now in a shelter.
At the same time, the gender affairs minister said that her ministry was working assiduously to take a bill to Parliament to amend the Domestic Violence Act.
“Together we are working hard to ensure that this piece of legislation will become a reality during this legislative year,” Grange told lawmakers during her contribution to the 2022-2023 Sectoral Debate in Gordon House.
Grange said she was anticipating full support from fellow lawmakers when the bill comes to Parliament to give greater protection to victims and to punish wrongdoers.
She said that the Cabinet has approved proposed amendments for drafting, and a draft bill was created with the assistance of the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel.
The draft statute was submitted to the attorney general’s chambers for review and comment.
Grange said that the society must do more to end domestic violence, which she described as a “horrific crime”.
Meanwhile, Grange said that the ministry was working towards the full implementation of the Sexual Harassment (Protection and Prevention) Act, 2021.
The legislation was passed by both Houses of Parliament in 2021. The statute contains provisions for the protection of women and men against sexual harassment.
Grange announced that the Sexual Harassment Unit, which will investigate complaints, is now being put in place.
“We started the recruitment for the unit and will have some officers on board as of July 1, 2022,” the minister said.
Head of the Hugh Lawson Shearer Trade Union Education Institute, Danny Roberts, has been engaged as a consultant to assist with the establishment of the Sexual Harassment Tribunal.
The tribunal will hear and determine complaints of sexual harassment at the workplace and other institutions. It will also adjudicate complaints by a worker of the employer’s failure to act on such grouses.
Grange said that the ministry has started receiving complaints and iss assisting companies to put mechanisms in place to respond to them.
The Bureau of Gender Affairs has assisted 200 organisations to draft sexual harassment workplace policies.