74.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesTASK FORCE TO TACKLE RAPE, SEXUAL ABUSE

TASK FORCE TO TACKLE RAPE, SEXUAL ABUSE

According to Police Commissioner Franz Christian, a multidisciplinary task force melding law enforcement, government agencies and the private sector is being developed in response to the increased number of rape and sexual abuse cases being reported in the territory, the vast majority of them involving minor children.
The task force, now in its formative stages, will include V.I. police and the Justice, Human Services and Health departments. The KidsCope program is also to be a part of the government's strategy to combat sexual abuse.
The initial announcement of the task force came from Christian Tuesday night when he addressed the Rotary West club on St. Croix. He referred to the increased reports of abuse and violation against the territory's young people as the "most pressing problem for the police department presently."
Christian said the department is going the extra mile in these cases. "The police department's role has gone beyond its mandate because of the severity of the crime," he said. "We are now not only responding to these sex crimes but officers now find themselves counseling parents, families and the victim of the crime."
On Wednesday, Attorney General Iver Stridiron said the task force's mission is straightforward. "We are trying to bring both the public and private sector together to combat this growing problem," he said.
But the biggest obstacle is the resistance of some families to get involved when a crime is committed, he said. "We continue to have young people having sex with slightly older partners," Stridiron said, adding that parents must commit more time to their minor children.
The task force will look at the issue from the prosecutorial viewpoint while trying to get the community more involved. Stridiron said the Justice Department generally agrees with a proposed bill that seeks to ratchet up the penalty for sex crimes and raise the age of sexual consent. "We will be in favor of much of the bill," he said. "I must say though, that there are some parts of I don't agree with."
Christian called on community organizations to channel their resources toward social programs to not only provide recreation for young people but to educate them about rape and sexual abuse.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.