THE EDITOR, Sir:

An open letter to Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.

The rape of five females, including an eight-year-old in Irwin, St James, is both shocking and deeply traumatic for all decent and law-abiding Jamaicans, especially our women. In fact, this appears to be a very worrying trend in our society - heartless and vicious attacks on our women and children, at all social and business levels.

We, as concerned women, believe it is essential for our Government, headed by you, a woman of substance, to send a strong, powerful and uncompromising signal to our country that we will not tolerate this behaviour any longer; and that if anyone dares to perpetrate these acts of violence, the consequences will be swift, severe and unyielding, whatever the forces they may employ.

We recommend that no expense or resources be spared in bringing the two gunmen in Irwin to justice. It cannot be business as usual, Prime Minister.

We also hope that our plea will spur you to immediately allocate resources to ensure the effectiveness of the laws that give more protection to our women and children through the Offences Against the Person Act and the Incest Punishment Act, which relate to rape, incest and other sexual offences.

New provisions for the prosecution of rape and other sexual offences, as well as the establishment of a sex offender registry, will yield additional results.

CONCERNED WOMEN

OF JAMAICA