George Wright May Have Been Wronged, But His Dignified Demeaner is Commendable

April 21, 2021 | Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie |

As the dust settles and the noise has subsided my analysis of what unfolded in the public arena regarding MP George Wright has not left me feeling very pleased. In fact it has left a bitter taste in my mouth and a unpleasant feeling in my mind.  My mother instilled in me an enviable sense of justice. Then I went to a high school where my principal was a very dignified man who was an exemplar par excellence.

Intimate Partner Violence

Such a scourge needs to be eliminated from the face of our society. Since we are not perfect beings there are going to be conflicts unfortunately. That as it may be regrettable, but it is how as a society we deal with conflicts especially when we are the spectators and not the perpetrators.  It is how we individually or collectively do to settle such conflicts and the mechanisms in place to settle them.

Allegation

An allegation was made against MP George Wright. The police interviewed the accused and the so called video of the alleged altercation involving possibly MP George Wright and a female was not very clear as the parties could not be clearly identified.  All that is clear is a tussle.  The police said they had a problem identifying the parties involved on said video.  Identification in a criminal case is key and such appears to be settled law.

Basis For A Criminal Charge

1) Suspect must be placed at the crime scene

2) There needs to be clear identification of the suspect or suspects so the alleged crime can be successfully prosecuted.

Integrity Of Evidence

It is abundantly clear that the integrity of the video evidence in this specific case has been in doubt from day one. Some noted public officials and so called gender activists refused to for their own reasons to take a pavlovian approach.  This has led to a lot of confusion and some unfortunate public comment and suspicion on the image and character of the MP George Wright.

Dignified

Through it all MP George Wright has been most dignified and his demeanor has been commendable.  We feel that Wright’s conduct has sent the right signal to all and sundry.  We say congrats to you sir. Despite public perception that he has acted poorly. It should be noted that suspicion alone cannot be just be elevated to be guilt.

Suspicion

To convict a suspect on the basis of suspicion is not only illegal but immoral.  There is something called presumption of Innocence.  That is the foundation of our justice system.  Until this principle has been abandoned then no person can just wake up one morning and throw such a long cherished tradition through the window.  Things in the judicial system does not work that way. To abandon such a tradition in a flimsy way is not acceptable.

“Government must be of laws rather than of men”

A tenet from the Jaycees creed

We cannot reinvent the wheel when it suits us. There has to be one set of rules to be fairly applied to the King and the Pauper.  Full stop.

Complainants

Complainants to said dispute have refused to cooperate with the police by making themselves available so statements can be collected and possible charges laid.  They have not fully cooperated to date.  The hands of the police were tied. If  complainants are not willing to proceed then there is no case to go forward. Full stop.

Wright and Lawyer

MP Wright and his Lawyer Able Don Foote went to the police and Wright was questioned at length and then asked to leave the Station without being charged. There was no legal basis to do so. We are not in a jungle applying Jungle justice as some seem to want to happen.

Case closed

The police has since closed the case. Citing lack of clear evidential material. They have left the door open should more information come to hand. Gender activists like Nadeen Spence have difficulty accepting that outcome.  Sorry for you madam. This society cannot be relegated to a jungle.

Respect For Due Process

The need to show respect for due process is critical for any orderly society. We have systems in place, so let us show respect and place our confidence in same.

Gender Minister Grange declared:

“I am gender Minister to all sexes”

So asserted Minister Grange on radio today Wednesday 21st April, 2021, at 12:49 PM on NNN.

SSP Stephany Lindsay (police) said inter alia:

“If the complainant(s) refuse to come forward and give a formal statement then the police cannot go forward with a viable case to be put before a court of law.  Even if the video was crystal clear the police would still need a complainant. This is the ground for laying a criminal charge according to our laws. “

Dayton Campbell, Gen. Secretary of the PNP’s case.  Continuing the SSP opined inter alia:

“In the Dayton Campbell matter there was a social media post. This was alleged, based on the post which said it involved a child or underaged children.  The video evidence was the only facts given by the post based on the social media complaint. With no complainant there was doubt about the integrity of the facts on the video.  This evidence alone would be unusable.  In short there was no basis on which the police could act. As there was no solid evidence on which the police could use. It was a wild goose chase so to speak.”

Would public mischief matter?

Lawsuit

A multimillion dollar lawsuit has been launched.  Lawyers for Dayton Campbell have written to the complainant asking them to put up or shut up or face legal action.

Section 2 of the cyber crimes act.  Could have been violated.

The lawsuit has been filed. We await the court battle.

Commentary

Please note that no comment will be made on the said Campbell lawsuit before us or to be before the court soon.  We have to respect this process.

We have to be careful that we do not allow ourselves to be biased.  Gender means both sexes and not just one sex. Most of our thinking seem to be directed at men only.  Based on what has been in the public domain on videos being circulated on social media have shown two women in recent times raining blows on two different men.  The men were not fighting back. They showed considerable restraint which has been commended by the Gender Minister Hon. Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange. This video evidence proves that women are violent producers also.

George Wright has conducted himself with dignity. His rights seem to have been trampled on. He has been wronged. This is not acceptable.  We must respect the law and people’s legal and Charter rights. Full stop.

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is a poet, veteran journalist who has a keen interest in intimate partner violence issues, and fair play.  He has international exposure.