There have been mixed responses to a plan to dramatically stiffen legal penalties aimed at dealing with a disturbing rise in the incidence of sexual offences. Official statistics put the rate of reported sexual offences at no less than 19 per month.
Interest groups say the actual figure is probably much higher.
Attorney General Ramesh Maharaj said proposed amendments to the country's Sexual Offences Act recognise that the existing legal framework is not sufficient to deal with a situation that is affecting a growing number of women, young girls, boys and men. I make no apologies for this Bill if it is considered to be ferocious. The Attorney General said that there were certain countries with the death penalty for rape and some, including the United States, where chemical castration of convicted rapists is considered a legal punishment. Even if the judge says life imprisonment or 25 years, they could spend 14 years and then go home. He said the logical consequences of the proposed legislation would be to drive men into homosexuality.