NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said many politicians are hiding their true position on marital rape while they “parade around here as ordinary, decent human beings”.
Ingraham did not mince words as he spoke with reporters about the issue on the sidelines of the signing of the book of condolences to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Friday.
He recalled his own attempts to make marital rape illegal in The Bahamas lacked the support needed to reform the law.
The bill was tabled by then-minister of state for social development Loretta Butler-Turner in 2009.
“When I was prime minister and my minister brought a bill to the House of Assembly to outlaw marital rape, to outlaw it, to make it illegal,” he said.
“You would also you can also find out that I eventually announced to the public that I did not have the support of members of the FNM or the PLP in the House to pass the bill, I was therefore going to withdraw the bill, So my effort did not succeed. I was also the one who ratified the convention at the United Nations to make that an international commitment of The Bahamas, for marital rape to be illegal in The Bahamas.”
Ingraham continued: “But, you know, you can only do what you have the support for. So I assume that Mr. Davis would make a judgment as to whether or not he has the support of his members to pass it. Many persons who you see parade around here as ordinary, decent human beings do not believe that marital rape ought to be a criminal offense and in private they have their views.”
He added: “So as members of the press who can grill them…put them on the record for their personal private positions.
Eyewitness News canvassed lawmakers for their position on the criminalization of marital rape in February.
At the time, Senator Tyrell Young and former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis declined to comment.
Minnis told Eyewitness News: “I would have to see the bill”.
Those expressing support included: Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, Opposition Leader Michael Pintard, Bain and Grants Town MP Wayde Watson, Bamboo Town MP and Speaker of the House of Assembly Patricia Deveaux, Englerston MP Glenys Hanna-Martin, Freetown MP Wayne Munroe, Garden Hills MP Mario Bowleg, Pinewood MP Myles Laroda, St Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright, South Beach MP Bacchus Rolle, Tall Pines MP Dr Michael Darville, Yamacraw MP Zane Lightbourne, Central and South Abaco MP John Pinder II, North Andros and the Berry Islands MP Leonardo Lightbourne, Central and South Eleuthera MP Clay Sweeting, Long Island MP Adrian Gibson, and Senators Michael Halkitis, Reuben Rahming, Barry Griffin, and Darron Pickstock.
According to reports, Pineridge MP Ginger Moxey, Golden Gates MP Pia Glover-Rolle, and Seabreeze MP Leslie Miller-Brice have also publicly expressed support.
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