Scott Mottley accuses gov't members of hypocrisy concerning violence against women

 

Opposition Senator Donna Scott Mottley has accused her government counterparts of feigning shock over the recent spate of violence against women and girls.

 

She argues that a brutal incident reportedly unfolded right under their noses, with little outcry or meaningful action to demonstrate an intolerance of violence against women and girls.

 

Noting the reaction of government members to recent incidents, including the beating of a nurse by a male motorist, Senator Scott Mottley labelled the actions as hypocritical.

 

"All the JLP women were behaving as though this is the first time they had witnessed such a thing, but I had witnessed it before. I had seen a man take a stool and beat a woman until I thought she would just die from the blows. And when they sat in Parliament, not one of those women raised a voice to condemn. And it was alleged that the man was a parliamentarian. He has not denied it. And then suddenly now I see Babsy come out and everybody come out, and they want to condemn violence against women?" the opposition senator contended.

 

Member of Parliament George Wright was at the centre of a domestic violence incident, reportedly caught on camera and widely circulated on social media in 2021.

 

The Central Westmoreland MP was never arrested nor charged in relation to the incident, but he resigned from the Jamaica Labour Party after the video began circulating.

 

Following his readmission to the party in February 2025, Information Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon stressed the importance of redemption, especially for those who have taken steps to right their wrongs. She also called for the opposition to desist from politicising the matter.

 

Meanwhile, Senator Scott Mottley also expressed disappointment with the delay in publishing the Sex Offender Registry among other issues.

 

"We have a joint select committee reviewing the Domestic Violence Act, which is to look at how we can strengthen the protection of our women in this country. It met once, March 20, 2024, and it has never met again. We have a caucus of female parliamentarians and when you put issues to them, they say it's not in their terms of reference. These people don't choose you," she argued.

 

Senator Scott Mottley was speaking at a People's National Party Divisional Conference in Christiana, Manchester on the weekend. 

 

There have been calls for the government to expand access to the Sex Offender Registry following recent incidents of sexual abuse of children. 

 

National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang had committed to a review of the registry in 2024 to confirm whether details could be shared more broadly. 

 

Following the murder of nine-year-old Kelsey Ferrigon earlier this month, Dr. Chang said Cabinet would shortly receive recommendations for review of the Sexual Offences Act, including the Sex Offender Registry.