By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Chester Cooper said the age of consent should be raised to 18 to “further protect minors.”

His comment on Friday came after Minister of Social Services and Development Obie Wilchcombe said the Office of the Attorney General was looking to address “inconsistencies” in law with the age of consent with legislation expected to change in the summer.

“Public discourse can be rocky, but it can often bring about change,” Mr Cooper said in a statement posted to his Facebook page on Friday.

“The current discussion about the age of consent should be followed by action on the part of lawmakers. I have previously called for the legal age of consent to be increased to 18 years of age, and I stand by that today.

“This will further protect minors and make clear that children who cannot drink alcohol, join law enforcement, open a bank account, stand before a court as an an adult or vote, for example, cannot reasonably consent to sex with an adult.

“Any law that suggests otherwise is out of step with what the vast majority of those whom the law is supposed to serve believe. I am also for eliminating any ambiguity in the law with regard to teenage minors consenting to sex with adults — once again, they cannot.

“Laws must change as the values of society evolve and mature. Cabinet is considering measures to bring about these changes and they are long overdue,” Mr Cooper said.

This comes after a 40-year-old man was given a four-year sentence in a plea deal for unlawful sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl who was also pregnant. After the man completes his prison term, he will be on probation for three years.

The sentence prompted outcry from some people that it was too lenient.

However, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe on Thursday suggested the sentence was too severe, telling reporters that had he defended the man, he would have argued it was not rape and that the girl consented.

This statement led to backlash and calls for Mr Munroe’s resignation.

Speaking on the sidelines of a Child Protection Month press conference on Friday, Mr Wilchcombe said the age of consent is being reviewed.

“At 16, a young girl cannot even go to a doctor. . .the Attorney General’s Office is addressing the inconsistencies (in the age of consent) because we have from 10-years-old, a child can be charged as an adult for a crime depending on the circumstances. So we have a lot inconsistencies so we’re working on that now and we expect legislation to change during the summer months,” he said on Friday.

Asked if the plan was to increase the age of consent to 18, the West Grand Bahama and Bimini MP said, “I can’t say that, I know it’s being discussed.”

Regarding Mr Munroe’s controversial statements, Mr Wilchcombe said the minister is responsible for his comments.

“I’m responsible for the ones that I make,” he told reporters. “I’m not sure of the circumstances in which he was speaking. I thought at one point he simply was just seeking to give advice as to how he would advise a client. At the end of the day, my responsibility is to take care of the children and to ensure that our children are protected. Those responsibilities we intend to carry out vigorously.”

Mr Wilchcombe did not believe the statements made undermined the efforts of protecting children.

“The only thing that can undermine our work is if we do not carry it out vigorously. We’re not going to be undermined by anything and in our society you have to appreciate the differing views, but we have a stated mission, an obligation, and a pledge that we intend to pursue in the cause for our search for the protection of all children of our country because there’s too many that we’re seeing, too many cases of vexing issues that’s been around for awhile and so going to take a very aggressive approach in dealing with and causing for greater education.”

He added: “You will see changes to the law within the next several months to ensure that we are providing this protection.”

Ann Marie Davis, who was also at the event, said she thinks the maximum sentence should be given to those who violate children.

“It enrages me so much,” the prime minister’s wife said. “Personally, I would like to see everyone get the maximum sentence who violates a child. It's traumatic. It affects them for the rest of their lives. It destroys a child - someone who has the potential of doing so much more. Once you destroy a child’s life, I think everyone should get the maximum sentence. It makes me that angry.”

The 14-year-old victim in the unlawful sex case should have been protected more, according to Mrs Davis.

“She should’ve been protected by whoever her guardians were. Whoever her neighbours, teachers, everyone else. She should’ve been protected and my heart goes out to her.”