Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander yesterday pleaded with the "system" to "get it right" after a 19-year-old Warren Street resident, who is on bail accused of sexual assault, was arrested in connection with two recent sexual assaults, including an attack on an 83-year-old woman.

According to police, the woman was beaten and sexually assaulted at her home on Market Street at 2:30 p.m. on Monday.

"This is an individual who should not have been on bail," said Fernander as he updated the media on the investigation into the two sexual assaults.

"I'm pleased to say the officers and detectives were on the ground all night. We have an adult male in custody who we know was arrested shortly after. He is being monitored and he is on bail for a similar offense. He is assisting police with that investigation."

Fernander said the teen suspect in that incident is also a person of interest in a burglary and sexual assault incident that took place on June 16 on Davis Street.

According to police, around 7:10.p.m., an unknown male entered the victim's home through a northern window. The man, who allegedly had a firearm, robbed the victim of two gold chains and a ring before fleeing. Police didn't initially report the matter as a sexual assault.

"The matter that occurred last week Friday where a young lady was sexually assaulted in the Davis Street area, he is also assisting police with that investigation," Fernander said.

"When detectives went to his home, jewelry that was taken from that incident was located and identified by the victim, so we know that we are on the right track with respect to the individual."

Fernander has previously expressed frustrations over individuals on bail who he said are committing more crimes, and questioned why they continue to be released.

Back in January, he revealed that most of the individuals charged with murder in 2022 were already on bail.

"He went back in his old ways," said Fernander, referring to the 19-year-old sexual assault suspect.

"We continue to say that the culprits continue like a revolving door. I'm pleading for the system, we need to get it right, because it's the same revolving door.

"We see the same individuals continue to offend. My heart is heavy today for the elderly lady, all of the victims.

"I have instructed this Victim Support Unit, the Domestic Violence Unit, to reach out to the family of the victim. She has seen a doctor and has been released and is resting comfortably at home, but she needs some counseling, and we are going to take the lead in that to do justice with the 83-year-old and other victims as well. We have our Victim Support Unit who continue to stay in contact with the victims themselves.

"So I feel my heart is heavy for that elderly lady and our prayers are with her and the families at this time. We have to protect our women, and the Royal Bahamas Police Force is up to the task to do just that.

"If an incident occurred, we will go all out in bringing closure. So we are just pleading to the courts, or the system - swift justice for that individual, and the other matters which we know are pending."

The bail issue and legislative changes over the years have remained controversial given that suspects have a constitutional right to be tried within a reasonable period.

The judicial system has been plagued by a chronic backlog of cases, preventing many suspects from getting early trial dates.

Many end up on bail, even if there is only an expectation that they will not be tried within a reasonable time. Police say this contributes significantly to high crime rates.

The latest sexual assault incidents come amid heightened concerns over sex crimes.

Last week, Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe reported that while overall crime was down 30 percent in the first five months of 2023 compared to the same period last year, rape reports were up.

In New Providence, such reports were up by 64 percent.

Rape reports fell in Grand Bahama by 56 percent. It fell in the rest of the Family Islands by 33 percent.

But the increase in New Providence drove an overall increase in rape.

While Munroe said rapes overall were up, he did not provide a figure on how many rapes were reported in the mentioned period.

Back in April, Fernander told the media that between January and the third week of April, there were 22 reported rapes compared to 20 in the same period in 2022.

The police crime reports in the weeks since reflect multiple rapes, primarily on New Providence.

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