Glenda Simms, Contributor

According to a recent report in one of our local newspapers, faced with the enormity of the continued sexual violation of women and girls, a frustrated senior Magistrate Lorna Errar-Gayle proposed the idea of the use of chastity belts to 'keep sex offenders at bay'.

This writer has no idea of the seriousness or the anticipated impact of the honourable judge's suggestions. Perhaps she, like most normal and thinking women, has reached the point of total rage in response to a society that seems incapable of finding meaningful solutions to the rising rates of sexual crimes.

Indeed, every God-fearing and decent Jamaican citizen should be able to empathise with the rage of hopelessness that has emanated from the highest chambers of the justice system.

Dealing with sexual offences

According to media reports, Resident Magistrate Errar-Gayle, in one day, had to deal with ten new cases of sexual offences against women and girls. Six of these cases were committed against six-year-old school girls. These atrocities against Jamaican baby girls were allegedly carried out by men and boys, including a 49-year-old basic school principal.

This date in court is becoming a typical one. This scenario is framed by the realities of the Jamaican society described by freelance reporter Avia Ustanny. Miss Ustanny's research, reported in a 2006 Panos Media Brief entitled 'A Situational Analysis of Rape in Jamaica', came to thefollowing conclusions:

1. Violence and crime in certain communities increase women's vulnerability to rape.

2. Rape is common in many poor communities in Jamaica.

3. Males aged 16-25 years commit most rapes in Jamaica.

4. Jamaica lags behind other Caribbean countries in producing legislation to protect women from sexual violence.

5. As it relates to sexual offences, Jamaica still operates under an archaic statute dating back to the 1800s.

In her efforts to make a dent in this awful situation, Judge Errar-Gayle suggested that women might need to contemplate wearing chastity belts to save themselves from the physical and mental ravages of "sex against their will".

The questions on the lips of most Jamaican women and girls are reflected in the following:

"What are chastity belts?

"For whom and by whom were they designed?"

A cursory glance at the mountain of literature on the topic points to the definition of a chastity belt as 'a locking device designed to prevent sexual intercourse and masturbation'. It is also a device that could protect individuals from rape.

Interestingly, the literature also informs that there are male and female versions of the item. Historically, the chastity belt was an item that seemed to come into use in the 15th century. One prominent myth about this unique garment is that it was first used by Crusading Knights who wanted to ensure that their wives remained 'chaste and faithful' while they were looting and pillaging and raping the populations that they were determined to conquer.

In an article entitled 'The Dark World of Medical History', published in the June 21st, 2007 edition of The Independent, writer Jeremy Laurance described the gigantic, gruesome archive assembled by British philanthropist Sir Henry Welcome.

Among the over two million artefacts that have been amassed in this collection are a number of items that were designed to restrain the human body. Laurance describes these as "among the most freakish objects in the exhibition".

These items include 'a nickel-plated male masturbation device; a brass corset and an iron chastity belt'. These items are defined as ones which "illustrate the centuries-old fascination with the body and our desire for control over it".

In modern times, chastity belts have surfaced in various forms and made of a variety of materials -plastics, alloys containing nickel, rubber and leather.

An internet search on the many articles on chastity belts reveals that there are manufacturers who specialise in these items. One such firm isLatowski of Germany which is reputed to make chastity belts that look like a bikini underwear. It was pointed out in the source that Latowiski's products are very expensive. The buyers are obviously those with extremely deep pockets.

The depth of men pocket

It is an established fact that in the normal scheme of things, in all classes, most men have deeper pockets than most women. In fact, it can be argued that the depth of women's pockets is determined by the men who control the corridors of power in both the private and public sectors.

In Jamaica, where the majority of women's pockets are either extremely shallow or empty, a cheaper source of chastity belts would have to be found if this gadget has to be resorted to in our efforts to protect women and the 'girl child' who live their lives in a society with unacceptably high levels of rape, carnal abuse and incest.

It is within this framework that her Honour Senior Magistrate Lorna Errar-Gayle advocated the return to the chastity belt as a preventive measure against the rapist.

While this writer is convinced that the honourable jurist was overcome by the enormity and horrendous circumstance of inhumanity to which the women and girls of her country are routinely exposed, her emphasis is misplaced.

The subtext of this call is that women must, once again, take responsibility for the evil actions of evil men by restricting the female body physically, psychologically, emotionally and economically.

The logical conclusion of this 'passing the buck' to the woman is that mothers would have to buy baby chastity belts along with packages of pampers; great grandmothers would have to endure the discomfort of their arthritic pains while they fasten their chastity belts and poor women, who can't afford food or rent, would either have to accept rape as their lot or to hope to God that Food For the Poor would be able to hand out chastity belts, alongside the food and other household items that they now so generously donate through the churches.

Given theseobjective circumstances, the judge should insist that all rapists and wannabe rapists should wear the maleversion of the chastity belt.

Your honour, put the responsibility and punishment on the perpetrator of the crime. We must not revictimise the victim. Perhaps castration, lobotomies and male chastity belts are all viable solutions to curbing the high incidence of rape in the Jamaican society.

Let's give them a try!

Glenda P. Simms is a gender expert and consultant.