Antigua and Barbuda government planning to introduce new law Sexual Offenses Act

The government of Antigua and Barbuda declared that it plans to implement new measures to address the problem of motorists preying on young children in breach of the Sexual Offenses Act.

The new procedures will be implemented "to catch and arrest those who engage in activities that violate the law against kids," according to the statement.

Ministers "abhor violations of young children and will act to guarantee that these crimes end," according to a statement released after the weekly Cabinet meeting.

Cabinet had taken note of a bus driver's conviction this week, according to the statement, and "expects the culprit to be dealt with to the full extent of the law."

"Sexual predators who prey on youngsters must face the full force of the law," it continued.

Addison Browne, a bus driver, was found guilty on Wednesday of tying up a child and rapping her in his personal vehicle while delivering her home.

The child informed Justice Ann-Marie Smith that she had known the accused for about five months before to the April 2019 incident because he was a bus driver on the route where she was living at the time. On July 15, he will be sentenced for the crime.

Cabinet also held conversations with the leadership of the Bus Association and the administration of the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board about the subsidy that bus owners will receive as the price of fuel rises, according to the statement.

"It was agreed that fishermen, taxi drivers, and bus drivers would continue to receive a discount at the pump, and that any additional reduction would result in the same concessionary sum being paid."

The price decrease will now be 30%, and it will take effect immediately. The discount is meant to ensure that taxi drivers, fishermen, and bus drivers pay no more than they did before the recent increases, ensuring that their costs for products and services remain unchanged," according to the statement.