From Janice Eden.
I HAVE just read your report (JEP, 23 August) regarding Nacer Eddine Benyoucef who has been sentenced to 12 years for the rape of two women. I find myself left with a feeling of disquiet as to how our legal system had granted this man bail on a charge of rape in April of last year (and that is not taking into account his earlier trial of 2004 where his conviction for an indecent assault on another woman was quashed after it was found that the Bailiff had not summed up properly) only to go out and rape again.
Rape is probably the most heinous crime a man can commit against a woman, taking away her dignity and forcing his domination over her in a way which I do not believe many men can fully understand.
So I looked at the makeup of our government and legal system and found that it is truly run by men. We have a male Bailiff, a male Deputy Bailiff, a male Attorney General and a recently appointed male Solicitor General. We have ten male Jurats. Along with this we have a Council of Ministers headed by a male and consisting of eight male ministers. We have 11 male Senators, 12 male Constables and 19 male Deputies. Against this we have three female Jurats, one female Council Minister, one female Senator and nine female Deputies.
Now the number of women in the States may be because not enough women are prepared to run for government or be chosen to be the Constable of their parish, but within the legal system our judges are not appointed independently from the very able body of excellent male and female lawyers with their years of experience. Our judges have to fulfil a dual role and be willing to rise to the position of Bailiff of the States of Jersey.
Will there ever be a time when we see such an appointment given to a woman or is it time to support a motion to separate the two roles. I for one had never considered this necessary until our legal system allowed Nacer Eddine Benyoucef a chance to rape again.
4 Tower Garden Apartments, Mont Cochon, St Helier.