Candidate raped; politicians hint at conspiracy
It is never easy to report on a crime of sexual assault… and when the victim of such an inherently distasteful act happens to be a politician it makes things even more complicated. The facts as we understand them are as follows: at around five a.m. Sunday morning Marisa Quan, U.D.P. standard bearer for the Freetown Division, was raped at her home on Fairweather Street. There were apparently no signs of forced entry and it is believed that Quan was acquainted with her attacker. An eighteen year old youth from the area, Barry Robinson, has been detained for the crime. While police pursue their investigation and prepare charges of sexual assault and perhaps burglary, Robinson today pled guilty in Magistrate’s Court to the crime of drug trafficking. This charge arose when police searched his house and discovered in his yard a plastic knapsack containing nine ounces of marijuana. Robinson, without the benefit of a lawyer, was given three years in prison and a ten thousand dollar fine. What makes the case unusual is the seemingly irresistible urge of some politicians to turn the case into a partisan rallying point. The United Democratic Party wasted no time in this regard when it issued a press release indirectly tying the rape to an attempt by forces hostile to Quan’s candidacy. Saying that over the last two weeks she has endured armed threats, bribery attempts and harassment by stalkers, the release goes on to pledge that those who may be guilty of the crime will be brought to justice. The use of a plural, when only one man is accused of the rape, is suggestive of some sort of conspiracy. We checked the theory out with a phone call to Deputy Prime Minister Dean Barrow. When asked if he thought the opposition P.U.P. had anything to do with the rape of Marisa Quan Barrow was cautious: “I have no evidence to say the P.U.P. is responsible” said Barrow, but he added: “The way the P.U.P. is behaving nothing would surprise me.” When asked what possible motivation could drive her political opponents to commit rape, Barrow replied that the motive would be intimidation born of a desire to have her withdraw from the race. Such an explanation would not account for the fact that Quan is a political newcomer and lightly regarded as an opponent for Freetown representative Jorge Espat. For its part the P.U.P. has strongly condemned the crime and has unequivocally disassociated itself from any acts of harassment against Quan. Meanwhile, sources tell News Five that although members of her family are strongly suggesting she get out of politics, the candidate remains committed to the race. Police, meanwhile, will no doubt be applying some pressure of their own. There is no shortage of rumor, innuendo and speculation in this case and the best advice we can offer is for everybody, police and politicians in particular, to stay extremely cool.
