By Linda Straker
Social Development Minister Delma Thomas has made a call for men who have been raped to report the matter to the police, because an injustice was done to them and they should not be ashamed to report this grave injustice.
“Too many times men are reporting that they are ashamed to report the matter to the police, but injustice is injustice and they should report it,” she said while updating the House of Representatives about initiatives undertaken by her ministry.
She was at the time informing the House that her ministry on Thursday presented Gender Based Violence Standard Operating Procedures for Health Professionals to the Ministry of Health. Among them were 100 rape kits, which will be used in four centres throughout Grenada.
Grenada in 2012 amended its Criminal Code to no longer restrict rape victims to only females. According to the Police, since then there have increased reports in rape crimes committed to men by men, and after investigations a number of these men have being charged and taken to court.
Police said that crimes are committed to young people as well as older men. “It’s not just happening to young boys, but to young adults, mature adults and older males, and the perpetrators are often young adult males,” said an officer of the Court.
According to Criminal Code, a person commits the offence of rape if:
(a) he or she intentionally and unlawfully commits an act which causes penetration with his or her genital organs, of another person;
(b) the other person does not consent to the penetration; or
(c) he or she does not believe that the other person consents to such penetration or is reckless as to whether the other person consents or not.
A person guilty of the offence of rape under that sub-section is liable on conviction on indictment to a term of imprisonment not exceeding thirty years.
