Rape on the rise, but reports may be down
By LARA PICKFORD-GORDON Saturday, November 3 2012
A
University of the West Indies Institute (UWI) professor on Gender and
Development Studies said the “social response to incest as taboo, is
shifting” and more reports were being made.
“Now
there is a moral demand you should say something. There is a new blame
cast on people for not saying anything, whether it is teachers, mothers.
The social response to incest as taboo is shifting. I think that will
affect the reporting of it,” said Gabrielle Hosein in an interview
yesterday.
On Wednesday at the weekly police briefing spokesperson for the TT Police Service (TTPS), Assistant Superintendent Joanne Archie said for 2011 the police received 484 reports of sexual offences, which include rape, incest and sexual intercourse with a minor, and statutory rape.
She said, “as of September this year, we had 698 reported cases of sexual offences, but the majority of these were cases of statutory rape.”
Responding to questions, she said there was a noticeable increase in “reports of incest in the Southern Division while in the Eastern Division, there was an increase in statutory rape cases.”
She urged commuters, particularly women, to observe basic precautions when travelling alone.
Hosein said she could not comment on the data, and more thorough systematic data collection was needed. “We don’t know what the numbers mean. Yes, there may be an overall increase, but we don’t know if it is an increase in reporting, or increase in incidence.”
Commenting on the problem of statutory rape, Hosein differentiated between minors having sex with each other, and adults having sex with minors. She said the difference must be kept in mind since “the power is never equal” when sex took place involving minors and adults.
Hosein said attitudes to statutory rape have also undergone change.
“There is a lot of public discourse with regard to that. It is becoming increasingly less and less okay, for men to exercise their sexuality with whom they choose.”
Hosen said questions about men’s sexuality and its implications for women and girls were being challenged today.
She said there was need for more information on who were the perpetrators of rape. Issues which must be considered include: Are rapes being committed by men who have been in prison? Are there issues related to drug and substance abuse, mental illness?
“What is the profile of men who have been convicted of rape? That is something for the TTPS.”
Rapes have been committed during breaking and entering at homes.
Hosein said, “the question is how can those violent, domestic breaking and entering be prevented and, the response time by police.”
The absence of safe public transport on off-routes was also “putting women in danger.”
She said most public transportation off the main roads was via PH cars, and this sector was unregulated.
On Wednesday at the weekly police briefing spokesperson for the TT Police Service (TTPS), Assistant Superintendent Joanne Archie said for 2011 the police received 484 reports of sexual offences, which include rape, incest and sexual intercourse with a minor, and statutory rape.
She said, “as of September this year, we had 698 reported cases of sexual offences, but the majority of these were cases of statutory rape.”
Responding to questions, she said there was a noticeable increase in “reports of incest in the Southern Division while in the Eastern Division, there was an increase in statutory rape cases.”
She urged commuters, particularly women, to observe basic precautions when travelling alone.
Hosein said she could not comment on the data, and more thorough systematic data collection was needed. “We don’t know what the numbers mean. Yes, there may be an overall increase, but we don’t know if it is an increase in reporting, or increase in incidence.”
Commenting on the problem of statutory rape, Hosein differentiated between minors having sex with each other, and adults having sex with minors. She said the difference must be kept in mind since “the power is never equal” when sex took place involving minors and adults.
Hosein said attitudes to statutory rape have also undergone change.
“There is a lot of public discourse with regard to that. It is becoming increasingly less and less okay, for men to exercise their sexuality with whom they choose.”
Hosen said questions about men’s sexuality and its implications for women and girls were being challenged today.
She said there was need for more information on who were the perpetrators of rape. Issues which must be considered include: Are rapes being committed by men who have been in prison? Are there issues related to drug and substance abuse, mental illness?
“What is the profile of men who have been convicted of rape? That is something for the TTPS.”
Rapes have been committed during breaking and entering at homes.
Hosein said, “the question is how can those violent, domestic breaking and entering be prevented and, the response time by police.”
The absence of safe public transport on off-routes was also “putting women in danger.”
She said most public transportation off the main roads was via PH cars, and this sector was unregulated.
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