Women’s rights, their sufferings, their humiliation

Dear Editor,
Thurston Semple, a taxi driver who is accused of the raping and battering of a Venezuelan woman, and raping of several other women including another Venezuelan which is now before the Magistrates’ Courts, was Friday, April 23, 2021, granted bail in the sum of $250,000 for the offence. This individual is also committed to stand trial in the High Court for previous matters.
While the law provides for bail for offences of this nature, it is subject to conditions. And don’t tell me about his human rights! Has anyone stopped to think about the human rights of his victims and how he violated them? He told her he was going to kill her, he had a knife, he cut parts of her body. I believe this decision is poor judgement on the part of the Magistrate. This individual should not have been granted bail. He is a serial rapist and by granting him bail, the wrong message was sent to other rapists. In the matter before this one, he was placed on $1 million bail. This did not deter him from committing the same offence again! No!
According to the Sexual Offence Act 2010, when the court is required to determine whether to grant bail in respect of an offence under the Act, the court shall take into account: –
-the need to secure the health, safety and wellbeing of the complainant or witness
-whether there are substantial grounds for believing that the accused, if released on bail would…fail to surrender to custody, commit an offence while on bail or interfere with witnesses or otherwise obstruct the course of justice, whether in relation to the accused or any other person
-any other matters which may be relevant to the case in question.
Were these conditions taken into consideration?
Why wasn’t he remanded pending his High Court trial? Is this an indication that we dont care about women and their rights, their sufferings, their humiliation? How can our system fail us, women? How do we know he won’t go after this victim and other victims as he has done before? She said he wanted to kill her, now she must live in fear … I am very disappointed in this decision, the system which should protect us has failed us yet again and will continue to do so. We have to stand in solidarity with all our women and girls who suffer because of selfish individuals. He is not a first offender, how…how? This was a callous decision.
This woman and all the other women he raped may never heal from this trauma, no amount of therapy will be adequate when our judicial system allows a serial rapist to walk the streets! After yesterday’s decision, I am broken.

Sincerely,
Shaundell Shipley