Nicholson

Edmond Campbell, News Coordinator

Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Senator A.J. Nicholson, took aim at the media on Wednesday and criticised journalists for not educating the public properly on the issue of marital rape.

Mr. Nicholson's tirade against the press came after Senator Dorothy Lightbourne raised the contentious issue of marital rape, noting that she was having second thoughts about how the legislation should treat with the matter.

The discussion formed part of the final sitting on Wednesday of the Parliamentary Committee which examined the Offences Against the Person Act and the Incest Punishment Act. The committee concluded its report after months of deliberations.

However, notwithstanding extensive coverage by the print and electronic media, committee chairman A.J. Nicholson took the media to task on the quality of its reporting.

"How I wish I were a journalist. All something like this (marital rape) would be just nice to get in and deal with it and do some research, instead of just everyday putting in the newspaper what people phone and tell you," he chided the press.

Senator Nicholson told his colleagues that, in a discussion with a senior journalist recently, the view was expressed that there was a deep crisis in journalism in Jamaica.

Insisting that the media had failed to highlight details on marital rape, the committee chairman instructed: "Instead of discussing in newsrooms whether you can have marital rape or not go and do some research and educate the public."

However, in a brief comment, Senator Nicholson noted that the media have been very helpful in covering the work of the committee.

Approach with caution

Senator Lightbourne had informed committee members that they should approach the provision on marital rape with caution "because we are dealing with family issues, (and) there may be children involved and a whole family may be destroyed."

She said: "I personally felt that it should be put in a slightly different category, I know the decision was we treat it as rape, but because of the past history - I have been exercising my mind to see how we could at the same time preserve the family."

The proposed Offences Against the Person Act sets out the circumstances under which a woman may be raped by her spouse.

However, the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions would be required if prosecution is to be brought for marital rape.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm