By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General Carl Bethel is slated to expound on the issue of marital rape at an upcoming panel hosted by the Bahamas Press Club 2014.

Mr Bethel is expected to bring clarity to the foreshadowed amendments to the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act, and engage in public discourse on the controversial issue.

During a presentation at the United Nations earlier this month, Mr Bethel confirmed a bill had been drafted that would effectively criminalize marital rape as “aggravated spousal sexual abuse”.

His presentation drew the ire of some who felt the government’s international commitment was premature, and did not demonstrate good faith in local public consultation efforts.

Mr Bethel denied criticisms and characterized backlash as “knee-jerk commentary” to erroneous news reporting and commentary.

The event, titled “Marital Rape – Is it a Blow to Family Life?” will be the first “Speaker’s Corner” for the press club, and will be staged at JCN Studios on Tuesday, January 30.

Other panelists include: Barrington Brennen, marriage and family therapist; Donna Nicolls, Bahamas Crisis Centre; Chauntez Dillet-Heastie, Organization for Responsible Governance; M’wale Rahming, Public Domain; and Pastor Mario Moxey, Bahamas Harvest Church.

“The Bahamas Press Club sees this as an opportune time to help bring a better understanding of the impending amendments, and to encourage public discourse on such a weighty and sometimes confusing issue, if only because of semantics,” according to a BPC press statement.

“There is no doubt it is proving a controversial issue, which in some quarters is seen to strike at the very heart of family life in the country.”