SEVERAL CHILD WELFARE groups and at least two Members of Parliament have started to lobby for an increase in the age of consent. Some want it to be moved from 16 to 18, while others want it to be raised to 17, all saying that it could help to lessen the number of sexual offences committed against girls! Interesting isn't it, that somehow Jamaicans always manage to miss the big picture. Raising the age of consent will not stop the raping of young girls, all that will do is to cause more men to be arrested for having sex with them.
In the past, THE STAR has carried several stories on men who had to answer charges of having sex with children. In every case the age of the girl was of no consequence to the accused.
In a report carried in today's paper, an attorney-at-law attempted to justify his client's behaviour by stating that the 15-year-old girl had consented to having sex with the accused man.
This is just a symptom of the underlying problem. The fact is many Jamaican men have a predilection towards girls. Some, because they believe in this myth that sex with a virgin will cure sexual diseases. All, because they are ill.
The fact is, as a nation we do not protect our children. Most adults believe and act as though a child who is not a blood relative is not their concern or responsibility. What should be done to help stop the rape of our children is stricter penalties under the law. Offenders should be getting terms of life imprisonment, after all, they have ruined their victims' lives.
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