Gya: Middle Ages laws make Guyana a paedophile paradise

Under the current laws of Guyana Mr Reeaz Khan is not guilty of statutory rape. In some other Western countries he would be. In fact, in some other Western countries he would be branded a paedophile and would find himself the object of public revulsion. It says something for the people of Guyana that for the most part they are way ahead of the legislation which supplies the framework for their social behaviour. Muslims, Hindus and Christians alike, as well as civil organizations with no religious affiliations of any kind, have expressed outrage that Mr Khan could have a sexual relationship with a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl.

It makes no difference that the child is in love with Mr Khan, let alone that he is in love with her; it makes no difference that she freely consented to intimacy with him and wants to stay with him; it makes no difference that he has applied to the court to marry her; it makes no difference whether any of his allegations against the girl's mother have merit or whether none of them do - the only thing that matters is that he is a grown man and she is a child.

Our legislation is the inheritance of different times and different mores. Perhaps it served a useful purpose in its day, and then again perhaps it didn't, but that is neither here nor there now. In our more infinitely complex and difficult times, an age of consent of thirteen years on the statute books is nothing short of a scandal.

Here's a Middle Ages solution to accompany the laws: Fathers, buy chastity belts for your daughters and hold on to the keys.