On July1st, this year, the Supreme Court, sentenced a man from Pointe Larue to 28 years imprisonment for sexual assault. With a previous conviction of 15 years for a similar sentence running additionally, the man will be deprived of his freedom for 43 years. His sentencing has had a big impact on the population and not because of the length, but rather because his identity has been withheld.
Many amongst the population were angry and wanted to know why the identity of a man whose actions the Supreme Court has described as being extremely serious and dangerous, would be kept from the public. The angry citizens took to social media platforms to ask why someone who committed such crimes should stay anonymous, as they felt in so doing, the police was protecting a criminal.
Because of the public reaction, the Seychelles Police Force released a statement on Saturday July 12th to explain why names are not made public in such cases.
“The Seychelles Police Force wishes to address public concerns regarding the non-disclosure of personal details of individuals convicted or accused in sexual assault cases involving minors. This policy is in place to protect the identity, dignity, and psychological well-being of the child victims, who are at the core of these sensitive cases. Revealing the names of suspects or convicts in such matters may indirectly expose the identity of the minor victims, especially in our small and closely connected communities,” said the Police Department.
While some citizens are of the opinion that the police are choosing to hide names, this is not the case. The decision is based on specific laws, namely the new Children’s Act; which stipulates that the best interest of the child must come first in all decisions. It also clearly states that nothing should be published that could identify a child involved in a legal case directly or indirectly.
In a small country like Seychelles, revealing the name of the person convicted could easily lead others to guess who the victim is, especially if they are related. This could lead to stigmatization, which would further add to the mental trauma of the victim.
The law also allows courts to block the release of certain information in sexual assault cases. This is to protect the victim’s privacy and to keep the legal process fair. In addition, Seychelles has signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires governments to keep the identity of child victims private in cases of abuse or violence.
In its July 12th statement, the Seychelles Police Force reminded the public that protecting child victims is more important than exposing the criminal. “We have a moral and legal duty to protect our children,” the Police wrote.
