Joel Strachan, 22, appeared before Justice Janine Weech-Gomez where he pled guilty to several crimes including housebreaking, robbery and sexual assault.  Strachan took responsibility for the sexual assault of a 83 year old woman that occurred on June 19th, 2023.   He was sentenced to nine years in prison for his crimes.

Opposition Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis, an attorney by profession, voiced her disagreement with the sentencing in a statement.  She said, “as a female senator and advocate for justice, I am appalled and outraged by the unduly low sentence given to a man who has admitted to committing a series of violent offenses against women, including the reprehensible crime of raping an 83-year-old woman.  This sentencing is not only an affront to the victims but also a clear failure of our justice system to adequately protect women and hold violent  offenders accountable.”

Minister of National Security, the Hon. Wayne Munroe was asked for his take on the subject outside of the House of Assembly on Wednesday.  He said, “the is a matter involving a plea agreement.  Requests should be made from the office of the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) as for the reason for the plea agreement.  The law permits them to have to tell the victim that.  The law permits them to be able to speak to the victim to say were about to enter a plea agreement, these are the terms what do you think of it.  Plea agreements can be influenced by the strength of or otherwise of evidence.  I do not have sufficient facts to be able to evaluate the matter but a request can be made of the office of the DPP for what was a justification for them agreeing to the particular plea agreement.”

The Minister further explained, “there are a number of cases that people don’t plead to and then they’re acquitted.  The acquittal rate in sexual offences is very high.  So if there’s an evaluation by the office of the DPP that in order to get a guaranteed conviction, in order to spare an 84 year old lady from having to go through the trauma of going back in court and reliving that trauma they determined that that’s appropriate that would be a matter to inquire of the DPP.  The FNM (Free National Movement) government is the one who removed this authority from the AG (Attorney General), a political appointee and gave it to an independently appointed DPP for this exact reason.”