In recent days, a massive sex scandal involving a minor has been sweeping Dominica with allegations that prominent people in society may be involved.“Our leaders must take action at the highest level of governance and allow the populace to listen in on their proposals to protect our children,” the petition reads.

The petition from the diaspora group ‘We are Dominica’ is calling on the government to take action on the following proposals:

1) Raising the age of consent to age 18;
2) Establishment of a family court;
3) Providing additional resources for the ministry of social services to educate the public, investigate allegations of abuse, and counsel victims of assault;
4) Amend the 1998 Sexual Offences Act to increase penalties for convicted pedophiles; and
5) Establish a national sex offender registry and set restrictions on how convicted offenders can interact with children in professional capacities.

“Child sexual abuse in Dominica has long been declared a national crisis. Yet, unlike national disasters or sudden increases in crime, this stain on our society has been allowed to spread rapidly, threatening the safety of all children in Dominica,” the petition reads. “In spite of significant activism to encourage the government of Dominica to amend existing legislation and invest additional resources to help combat the threat to our children, there has not been any concrete change in policy to address this national emergency.”

The petition was launched on change.org

CLICK HERE TO READ PETITION