Your glory days are over, says judge
A JUDGE has issued the harshest of warnings yet to would-be rapists.
“Expect no lenient sentences if you are found guilty of rape,” High Court judge Justice Stephen Pallaras said, as he imposed longer jail terms for two men convicted of rape, Thursday.
He said the penalty for rape provided by our criminal law is life imprisonment.
“Some say that all rapists should be sentenced to life imprisonment because of the horrendous nature of the crime,” the judge said.
“However, until recent times, rapists may have been encouraged by the lenient sentences they received after being convicted of rape.
“Those practices are over,” Justice Pallaras warned.
He told the two accused and for everyone else like them who are considering taking the chance to rape a child or a woman to listen carefully.
“Times have changed in these courts.
“If you take the chance of committing rape and are caught and convicted, do not expect to be treated leniently, because you won’t.
“Go out and tell your friends, your family, your young male relatives who might think that you two are some sort of heroes, tell them the glory days for rapists are over,” he told the two accused.
“And to the women and children who might hear this, be assured that you are not alone.
“Your treatment at the hands of men like this will be recognised for what it truly is, a denial of your humanity
“I will do all in my power to ensure that those who commit crimes such as this are sentenced appropriately,” he said.
He described the offence as “disgraceful crimes”, adding they represent some of the worst features of our society.
Justice Pallaras added that they represent the selfishness of men like the two accused who think that they will take a child or a young girl for their own pleasure, just because they can.
“Just because you are bigger and stronger physically.
“You brave men who attack children, you cowards who disgrace yourselves, your families and your gender because you are bigger than your victims.
“Think about that the next time you’re with people who are bigger than you.”
Justice Pallaras said these crimes represent a polluted attitude to women and female children of all ages- the attitude that is demonstrated by what the two rapists did to them, that they are no more than things to them.
“They have no humanity to you and therefore get no respect from you.
He said it is a polluted attitude not only because it denies the humanity and human rights of your victims, but also so stupidly ignores that this struggling society only just survives because of the enormous contributions and the sheer hard work that is contributed by women.
He further added, “In that sense your crimes are not only an offence against women, they are an affront to the very community, society and country in which you live.
“These crimes represent the attitude that women are yours to do as you will with.
“Well, here’s a news flash – they are not.”
He told the rapists that the women are not theirs to treat as if they
were master and the women as slave.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
