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Raise your voice, dear women!
My daughter Carmelitta Gauio—a mother of five—got sentenced to 20 years without parole for allegedly beating her boyfriend with a hot frying pan. For this disproportional punishment, her children got scattered to other countries, her own life is destroyed for many years ahead.
From now, you CNMI woman may “earn” 20 years in prison if you defend yourselves by hitting attacking boyfriends with whatever is at hand. You are going to be sentenced more than 10 times harsher when compared to punishments for the same violations by men. As a letter writer’s analyses has revealed, some judges are inclined to sentence women much harsher than men and do it systematically.
Another painful aspect is the lack of decent and safe conditions while serving the sentence. While serving the sentence, my daughter got another undeserved blow: She got sexually harassed in the correctional facility! Usually, you women are those who get harassed.
Dear women, raise your voice for her and for yourselves, please! A very dangerous precedent for women got created. Now, punishing woman that harshly is a legally admitted norm and applicable to all of you if something gets a little wrong. This norm is very likely to be used frequently in the CNMI. The local women’s movements, their professional associations, and the people who want to stop the far-reaching negative consequences of the Carmelitta precedent should join their efforts and their influence to make our Marianas a land of law. Demand for comparatively just punishment and for decent conditions of serving a sentence! The Constitution’s due process amendment is at your side
I bow my all-gray head and ask Attorney General’s Office to look into Carmelitta’s case one more time. Please enforce the main principle of precedent law: equal punishment for equal crime no matter where and no matter by whom!
I ask all of our ladies who have an opinion on this matter or are willing to voice their support for this cause to please send your support texts to bibamanamko@gmail.com.
My old heart aches…
Teddy Gauio
Navy Hill, Saipan
