On Tuesday February 23th , a suspect was transported from St. Eustatius to the Correctional Institution Dutch Caribbean on Bonaire by the police and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. There he will be given the provisional detention which was executed by the investigating judge on February 18th on St. Eustatius.
The man L.V.R was discovered by the mother of an underage girl in the bedroom of that girl. He managed to escape but, after a quick initial investigation by the Dutch Caribbean Police Force on February 8th ,by order of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, he was held as suspect of having sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 years of age, or at least an attempt to. Meanwhile, based on further investigation, he is suspected of committing sexual crimes, in which also other girls have been victims. Of course the investigation will continue.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office takes these kinds of offences very serious. And in previous cases unconditional imprisonment was also imposed by the judge, on defendants who had sexual intercourse with girls, younger than 16 years old. Even if the sexual contact is not accompanied by threat or violence, these are serious offences. These acts are in particular punishable, because young children are unable to take adequate decisions about whether or not having sex. And those who carry out acts under those circumstances with the girls, are taking advantage of that young age and can cause irreversible damage. The legislature has therefore made it possible to give maximum prison sentences up to 16 years.
It is a fact that the police and the Public Prosecutor’s Office are faced with these facts regularly. But they have the impression that only a limited number of cases are reported. How often these facts take place is therefore not known. And the damage to the victims is also unknown. Whereas there are minor, vulnerable victims involved. Under those circumstances, the detection and consequences in individual cases of suspects is necessary, but it is not enough. Information, assistance and other government instruments are necessary to reduce these practices. By the Government, but also in co-operation with other organizations. The Public Prosecutor’s Office and the police will insist on a joint approach to the local government and the aid workers authorities within their regular contacts.