By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

SENATOR Michela Barnett-Ellis renewed calls for stiffer penalties against people who commit sex crimes against women and children, noting an apparent “disgusting” uptick recently in violent acts against the group.

Speaking in the Senate yesterday, Mrs Barnett-Ellis said now is the time for the country to act and strengthen legislation to better protect women and children, insisting that “we have talked about it long enough.”

She spoke after a man accused of pointing a gun at his 12-year-old daughter’s head and forcing her to pleasure herself was granted $7,500 bail this week. He has denied the allegations.

 According to the senator, there have also been recent reports of a woman being attacked with a cutlass by her boyfriend. However, police could not confirm this when contacted yesterday.

 Yesterday, Senator Barnett-Ellis reiterated that more needs to be done to curb the scourge of gender-based violence in the country.

 She said: “We continue to call for legislation to amend the Sexual Offences Act and the gender violence bill and formal sentencing guidelines, particularly those that relate to offences against women and children. Women and children remain the most vulnerable members of our community. We are seeing what appears to be a disgusting uptick in violence against women and children in our community. This weekend, there were reports about a woman who was allegedly attacked by her boyfriend with a cutlass, causing injuries to her head. We were repulsed yesterday by the story of a father that (allegedly) held a gun to his daughter’s head.

 Mrs Barnett-Ellis continued: “Let me repeat that – he (reportedly) held a gun to his twelve-year-old daughter’s head and forced her to masturbate while he took pictures. He was granted $7,500 bail. Interestingly, Omar Archer was granted $8,000 bail. Whether we want to admit it or not, women and children in our community are frequently the victims of egregious acts, which can have long term, physical and emotional physical effects. These are uncomfortable topics.

 “Nobody wants to address their mind to these cruel and often sexual acts against the most vulnerable. We have talked about it long enough. We have cried outrage long enough.”

 The senator said that for far too long, legislation that addresses gender-based violence issues has been pushed to the “back burner” to deal with “sexier” laws.

 “The (2007 administration) commenced the Child Protection Act and brought in place the Domestic Violence Protection Orders Act in early 2012. Successive administrations have failed to take any further steps to offer any protection to women or children or to assure that sentences for offences against women and children reflect our condemnation, we must not get distracted.”

 This is not the first time that Senator Barnett-Ellis has publicly voiced her position in relation to domestic and gender-based violence.

 In February, she urged the Davis administration to “do the right thing” and criminalise marital rape while speaking at the Free National Movement party’s convention.

 Last month, Attorney General Ryan Pinder told reporters his office was working on proposed legislation that addresses marital rape and other gender-based matters.