Munroe: Marital rape was ‘not on agenda’

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe said criminalising marital rape should not be a significant priority of the Davis administration because the Progressive Liberal Party did not promise it in its Blueprint for Change manifesto. 

He declined to give his position on the issue.

“I don’t see any point on stating an opinion on something that’s not on the legislative agenda and the Prime Minister’s spouse has already said that we need to have widespread consultation,” he said. 

 “What Wayne Munroe thinks about something that will change the fundamental social institution is not as important as what the hundreds of thousands of Bahamian people think about it who got married, who are married. That’s more important.”

 Reporters have recently asked Members of Parliament their position on the matter as the Davis administration weighs amending the Sexual Offences Act to criminalise it. 

 It is unclear when consultations on the proposed legislation will end or when a law to criminalise marital rape will be brought to Parliament.

 The Bahamas’ legal system is one of about 35 worldwide that does not recognise marital rape without conditions.

 Pressed for his view, Mr Munroe said: “I haven’t seen it in the Blueprint for Change. I didn’t campaign on it, to ask anybody to vote for me because we would criminalise that. I campaigned and asked people to vote for me for doing certain things.

 “My task is to do the things that I told them I would do if they voted for me. This thing that a politician can be elected and do whatever they like puts politicians as gods and that is not healthy and that is not right.”

 Some women’s rights advocates have accused the government of “dragging its feet” on marital rape legislation.

 Mr Munroe said: “Well, anyone who can point to the Blueprint for Change and say that the people voted for us to do this, because that’s important … We got elected based on what is in the Blueprint for Change.

 “This is what we say we’re going to do, so if you voted for me and we didn’t say anything about marital rape, and then I jumped up and talked that I will press marital rape without asking you who sent me to the House, that’s not the way democracy works, either. Otherwise, it would be you just got elected and do whatever you choose.”

Comments

JackArawak says...

Am I becoming more cynical or are the politicians becoming more pathetic?

Posted 25 April 2023, 9:23 a.m. Suggest removal

stillwaters says...

They are becoming more stupid, secretive, and pathetic

Posted 25 April 2023, 11:18 a.m. Suggest removal

realfreethinker says...

And corrupt

Posted 26 April 2023, 8:55 a.m. Suggest removal

Sickened says...

It is an important issue for the Bahamian voting public. But because it is about women getting raped, it doesn't seem to be important to the PLP.
What the PLP do find important though is TRAVEL.

Posted 25 April 2023, 10 a.m. Suggest removal

stillwaters says...

Mitchell said Brave told them to say nothing, but Brave came and made a booboo of himself. They are all just rallying around the accused rapist minister, but three other accused rapists over the past four days are already jailed.

Posted 25 April 2023, 11:52 a.m. Suggest removal

bahamianson says...

But making sailing the National sport of the Bahamas was? Help me try to figure this out.

Posted 25 April 2023, 11:04 a.m. Suggest removal

realfreethinker says...

Munroe is a clown and a lier

Posted 26 April 2023, 8:56 a.m. Suggest removal

themessenger says...

Mr. Munroe, let me offer you and your fellows the same sage advise you offered us voters at a rally a couple of years ago, "Kiss my ass and walk fast."
The difference between we the people's agenda and the governments is night and day.

Posted 25 April 2023, 11:55 a.m. Suggest removal

birdiestrachan says...

Marital rape is an old story from 2009 why it has become so urgent when the PLP became the government and it was not a matter for the FNM , it is a trap people looking for trouble in people bed rooms , if he beats his wife yes, but marital rape pure nonsense,

Posted 25 April 2023, 12:07 p.m. Suggest removal

themessenger says...

Repost: Birdie, maybe one of these days some lowlife will beat and rape your sorry ass, I guess so long as the rapist is a PLP erryting will be jus cool wid you, aye?

Posted 25 April 2023, 1:56 p.m. Suggest removal

birdiestrachan says...

Is there sweet hearts rape,?. Good relationship for two years then rape,?. The devil is in the details

Posted 25 April 2023, 12:11 p.m. Suggest removal

carltonr61 says...

Free goat has no rights making laws for tied goat. The next Prime Minister of The Bahamas.

Posted 25 April 2023, 12:43 p.m. Suggest removal

bobby2 says...

Did an Elected Official (Munroe) actually say what is in this Article? Another example of how downhill Elected Governments are going. May the Lord have mercy on us.

Posted 25 April 2023, 1:17 p.m. Suggest removal

carltonr61 says...

My dad while he was alive always quipped "water in he bed", whenever mid aged men with sad faces begin go regularly visit the water hole. The same for churches, the mid aged women suddenly found everlasting peace at evening services. Where once green lush and succulent forests dwelled for the healthy and happy hunter, now lies a parched and burning thorns of a desert.
For married couples thus outcome is most often inevitable.The African and Indian ancient civilizations understood and accepted the biological nature of sexual stages of mankind. But to exploit feminism and menopausal stages of life as a crime is criminal. Some men drink themselves to death remaining loyal to wives whose God given gift to conceive is shut closed, so too her desire physical ability, mind and soul for physical intimacy. Feminists probably don't have an advise for married men who languish for empty years unfulfilled and constantly rejected. My unmarried dad, with almost forty children never had a bad night. So like the female MPs said. Let's study this thing. God is a deep God of compassion, sadly, where hysteria also finds exploitation.

Posted 25 April 2023, 1:19 p.m. Suggest removal

stillwaters says...

**We got elected based on what is in the Blueprint for Change.** Nooooooooooo.....you got elected because most people were voting against the FNM......they wanted them gone

Posted 25 April 2023, 1:36 p.m. Suggest removal

Sickened says...

Men need to learn to masterbate more. Perhaps this should be taught in school rather than how to accept men who think they're woman but yet have a penis and are trying to play sports against girls.

Posted 25 April 2023, 1:39 p.m. Suggest removal

carltonr61 says...

@sickened. Gee! Someone sees the red elephants in the room being hidden by the wife rape noise and hysteria. Gender equality was rejected by India, confused by the prospects to accept 104 genders. India says it only accepts male and female. Trans wants government to grant them special hiring status because of their mix sex confusion and confrontatiin with God, over born male or female. In The Bahamas we too vote on whether there exists more than God made male and female. To trans, BQT etc The Bible is an obstacle. L and G accept themselves as male and female. The the mixed crew are raising havoc on the dating scene as often times it is too late due to trans deceptions then you lay with *something other* than what you thought you picked at night.

Posted 25 April 2023, 1:55 p.m. Suggest removal

themessenger says...

@carlton61, and what does any of that smoke, mirrors & red elephants have to do with marital rape if I might ask?

Posted 25 April 2023, 2 p.m. Suggest removal

carltonr61 says...

The elephant in the room refers to the Bahamas Chrustian Council accepting same sex gender equality marriage and the rights of trans to constitutionally self declare their sex other than what God designed them. They are trying to use the significant issue of marital rape of husband preying on wife as a gender violence issue, but they also want to include acceptance of trans, neutrals and up to 140 human sexual firms. That is why India and Africa rejected the marriage rape package of different creeping agendas once the door is cracked.

Posted 26 April 2023, 9:50 a.m. Suggest removal

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