‘”You can see sometimes seven men jump over your wall and invade the sanctity of your home, with guns, with cutlasses, with other weapons’ – Kamla Persad-Bissessar
By Prior Beharry
WITH home invasions on the rise in Trinidad, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar wants to bring a law to increase the penalty for such criminal acts.
Speaking at the Monday Night Forum in Couva, she said home invasion was the number one fear in the country.
Persad-Bissessar said since the People’s National Movement (PNM) government came into power more than 15,000 robberies and assaults have taken place in homes.
She said evidence of the crime was seen on CCTV cameras.
Persad-Bissessar said, “You can see sometimes seven men jump over your wall and invade the sanctity of your home, with guns, with cutlasses, with other weapons. They torture, rob, they rape and then like rats jump off your house in rapid succession to proceed to a waiting car to move to the next venue.”
She said, “This can be psychologically devastating. Countless of our citizens consider migration to escape the barbaric criminal activities we see each day.”
Persad-Bissessar added, “The cries, the pain, the anguish. Can you imagine you are in your house, as you say ‘your home is your castle,’ the place you feel safest and you just see man jumping in over your gate and into your house. How terrifying for women… but I can think of a father and a husband, how helpless that person will be to watch his wife and mother and children.. that to me is one of the most terrifying experiences that you could ever imagine.”
Persad-Bissessar said the UNC will make policy changes to put an end to the “devilish offence of home invasion.”
She said, “We will bring legislation to Parliament to create a specific criminal offence of home invasion.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “This will involve increasing the sentences for larceny, burglary, serious assault, unlawful entry to your properties whether it be your home or your businesses and that you will be able to use force. They come using force – firearm, weapon cutlass, whatever it maybe and so we will create that specific offence.”
She added, “And we will create that offence with a penalty of 25 years in jail.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “This notion of dwelling home is already found in the Trespass Amendment Act, but that was for people going into HDC houses and taking it over.”
She said, “These new home invaders are not coming to take your house and keep it so you have to create an offence especially for them.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “We will also bring ‘stand your ground’ laws.”
She said currently if someone invades a house, the occupants have to use reasonable force. “Man coming with gun in your face and you must do nothing,” the UNC leader said.
Persad-Bissessar said, “I propose that we adopt the ‘stand your ground’ legal principle that will be inserted into our law.”
She added, “This means putting into our laws the legal principle that allows a person to use force in self defence without retreating.
“This principle also called ‘castle doctrine’ states that individuals have the right to use force, including deadly force, to protect themselves and their families from intruders.”
Persad-Bissessar said when the UNC passes this legislation, T&T will join 28 states in the United States that have adopted this “make my day” law.
She also said that a UNC government will make it easier to get legal firearms. She also called on the government to make pepper spray available.
