Pleading for pepper spray - Continued attacks on women spur legalisation push

As Jamaican women seek to wrestle with the monsters of abduction and rape, many have signed a petition seeking the legalisation of pepper spray for personal protection.

The online appeal was launched on the Jamaica House Petition online portal on February 18 seeking 15,000 signatures. It surpassed that by more than 1,000 as more women voiced the need for the gadgets following the kidnapping and murder of accounting clerk Khanice Jackson.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding reiterated his stance to THE STAR that women should be allowed to arm themselves with pepper spray and mace.

"In Jamaica today with the level of violence against women, I think it should be lawful for women to have it for their personal protection. It should be permittable in the use of self-defence because women are being preyed on and are vulnerable. We are having too many cases of women being abducted and their bodies being found," he said. "On the other hand though if it is being used as an offensive weapon to attack and not for self defence, that is a different story."

Golding said he believes that pepper spray is not illegal, having reviewed the Offensive Weapons (Prohibition) Act 2001. The provisions of the Act arguably conflict with the 1967 Firearms Act which prohibits the use of any weapon that may be deemed offensive.

Restrictive weapon

"The way in which restrictive weapon is defined in the Firearms Act is very broad. It doesn't mention pepper spray or mace but arguably it could cover it. But there is a view that the later provisions repeal the more general earlier provisions," said Golding.

He is calling for the Firearms Act to be amended so women shouldn't have to second guess as to whether to arm themselves with the gadgets.

"There needs to be a clear policy as to the circumstances in which pepper sprays can be imported, distributed and sold. That would make it available to women who may need to have it available to them for self defence and the Firearms Act needs to be amended to make it clear that pepper spray and mace are not covered by the definition of restrictive weapons because it did not clearly specify," he said.