Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage said last night the government intends to bring a Parental Responsibility Bill that would compel parents with minors to either be effective parents or face criminal prosecution. Nottage made the announcement during a nationally televised address on crime. But he did not present many new plans to combat the high rate of crime in the country.

His hour-long address, which was not advertised to the public or media, came as many Bahamians were preparing for Tropical Storm Erika, which caused at least four deaths in Dominica. "I want to reassure Bahamians that the government understands and shares the same level of concern that you currently experience on the intolerable level of crime in our nation," Nottage said. "We know that you want and deserve to feel safe and that you want crime to be reduced." He pointed out that 70 percent of children born in the country are born to single mothers.

Nottage said many single mothers tend to be friends to their children rather than parents. "Indeed many of them simply do not know how to be a parent," he said. "Certainly, good parenting seems to be a lost art. "Hence we have engaged in the assistance of the Office of the Attorney General to draft what is called a Parental Responsibility Bill which will be tabled in Parliament after consultations with civil society. "The primary objectives of this bill when legislated would be to compel parents to properly supervise their minor children at all times and accept responsibility for their actions. "Failure to do so will be a criminal offense."

Bail Nottage also said the government will do all that it can to combat crime, especially murder. "At this time last year there were 77 murders," he said. "Thus far this year there has been a total of 97 murders, representing an increase of nearly 25 percent."

He said an examination of the victims revealed that 56 percent of them had criminal records, seven percent of whom were charged with murder. He said 80 percent of the suspects in those murders had criminal records. The minister said if he had it his way he would not grant bail to murder suspects. "Research has shown that persons who are charged with violent crimes, including murder, are more likely to become a murder victim than persons who have not been charged with a violent crime," Nottage said.

"The truth is that if these persons who were charged with serious crimes were not on bail, less murders would have occurred and the murder rate would have been lower. "This issue about bail is therefore quite vexing. I understand the right to bail as guaranteed by our constitution, but I must confess that if it was in my power I would not release any person charged with murder on bail. "Constitutionally, however, that power is only vested in the judiciary." He added that murder suspects are usually the victims of "fatal retaliation".

"We have knowledge of a case where a suspect, who was on remand, was about to be released after someone had stood his bail," Nottage said. "However, he was suspicious and asked for the identity of person who was standing bail for him. "When the name was revealed to him it was a person who he did not know. He immediately asked that he not be released as he was concerned that the person may well have been securing his release in order to harm him." Nottage said beginning in September, he intends to conduct community walkabouts.

"I invite political leaders, community leaders, church leaders, activists and all other interested persons to join us in interacting with residents to demonstrate concern and to determine the extent to which we together can solve the challenges being experienced," he said. "On behalf of the government, I re-affirm our commitment to ensuring that no effort will be spared in addressing the criminal elements in our society. We must all work together to ensure that The Bahamas becomes a safer, modern, prosperous and stronger Bahamas."

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