- Stiffer Penalties for Sexual Crimes In SVG
On Thursday, the St. Vincent (SVG) Parliament enacted a bill with bipartisan support that increases the severity of punishment for people convicted of sexual offences in the state.
According to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, the law changes the punishment for several sexual offences under Chapter 171 of the Criminal Code.
Gonsalves said the general population, including right-thinking persons, has asked for a reassessment of these punishments.
Chapter eight contains sections ranging from 122 to 148. Furthermore, there are five crimes in Chapter 8 that have not had their sentences amended.
According to Gonsalves, the penalty for rape under Section 123 remains unchanged because it already carries a sentence of life imprisonment. According to Section 124 of the Criminal Code, having sexual relations with females under the age of 13 is punishable by life imprisonment. The last three are not addressed: buggery and indecent practices between members of the same sex.
In terms of the penalties, the following sections are being amended:
Clause 2 amends section 125, 1, intercourse with a girl under 15. The bill increases the penalty from 5 to 15 years.
Clause 3 ,Section 126, 1. Intercourse with the defective Imprisonment for five years. Currently that is being proposed to increase to 15 years.
Clause 4, Section 127, 1, indecent assault of child under the age of 15, the current imprisonment is five years, that will go to ten In any other case imprisonment for two years currently will go to five.
Section 128 is amended by clause 5, Indecency with a child, Imprisonment for one year is the current penalty, will go to ten years.
Clause, 129, Permitting a girl under the age of 15 to use premises for intercourse, Currently the imprisonment is 14 years If the girl is under the age of 13, that will go up one year to 15 years and If the girl is or over the age of 13, but under 15, which is seven years currently it will go to ten years .
Clause 7, amends section 131 , causing or encouraging prostitution of a girl under 15, that moves from 7 to 15 years.
clause 7, section 131, causing prostitution of a woman. Imprisonment goes from 14 years to 15 years.
Clause nine amends section 132, 1, detention in a brothel moves from 14 to 15 years.
Clause ten, ammends section 133, 1, Man living on earnings of prostitution. Imprisonment currently for 14 years goes to 15.
Clause 11, which amends section 134 for woman exercising control over prostitute/s moves from 14 to 15 years.
Clause 13, which amends section 136, 1. Keeping a brothel, imprisonment from 14 to 15 years.
Clause 14, amends section 137 letting premises for use as a brothel. Imprisonment for seven years on the first offence to go to ten years and subsequent offences 14 years to 15 years.
Clause 15, which ammends section 138, procurement of a woman by threats. Currently the penalty is two years. It will go to seven years.
Clause 16 in the bill will amend section 139 of the Criminal Code. Procurement of a woman by false pretenses. There is an imprisonment for two years. it will go to seven years.
Clause 17 will amend section 140, subsection 1. This is an offence which is administering drugs to facilitate intercourse. And section 140, subsection 1 reads as follows. Any person who applies or administers to or causes to be taken by a woman any drugs, matter or thing with intent to stupefy or overpower her, so as thereby to enable any man to have unlawful sexual intercourse with her, is guilty of an offence and currently liable to five years, that will go to ten years.
Clause 18, which amends section 142, incest by a man. The current penalty for that is 14 years, that will go from 14 years to 20 years. And clause 19 amends section 144 by a woman, which was seven years, that goes to 20 years.
