Amelia
06-22-2008, 01:33 PM
A junior female fire officer, who has been linked to suggestive photos on the Internet, is said to be stressed out, and is contemplating leaving the Fire Service.
According to reports, the officer was promoted in April, and was assigned to a special unit in the Police Service.
She worked there for nine months, but after the photos were exposed, she was transferred back to the Fire Service headquarters.
A senior officer linked to the scandal and who escaped disciplinary action, was sent on emergency leave.
Sex for promotion
n Jinelle Simeon (not her real name) was forced to leave the T&T Regiment after she refused to have sex with her superior.
She thought by turning down the sexual advances she would have gained respect from her colleagues, but she was in for a surprise.
She was scoffed at by other female officers, who referred to her as weak. Her superior, who was married, victimised her to the point of tears.
When she couldn’t bear the pressure anymore, she resigned.
n Sharon, meanwhile, worked as a fire-fighter in Jamaica for two years and came to Trinidad to start a new life.
When she joined the service here, she was told she could be promoted only if she slept with her instructor.
She joined, anyway, but after a year, she quit because of constant pressure for sex from senior officers.
n Anne, who was a fire officer several years ago, claimed she was constantly harassed sexually by her instructor.
Frustrated, she complained to the head officer at her station.
She was fired on the spot.
Army females aka mattresses
And the stories continue. While these women chose not to fall into the trap of their seniors, there are many others in the Protective Services who opt to give in, to gain favour from their bosses.
A source in the Regiment revealed that senior male officers physically fought each other to gain possession of female officers.
“If an officer is in the process of scolding a female officer, a senior officer, wanting to be the first one in (sexually), would dismiss him and take over the conversation,” the army officer said.
“The unspoken law is that the highest rank gets first preference to females, then he would hand over the female after he is no longer interested, or if he has someone else in his sights.”
Another officer said females in the army were referred to by their male counterparts as “mattresses or night snacks.”
“This is because of their constant use of sex to be exempted from duty, to have charges swept under the carpet, to get selected to go on courses, or to pass physicals in order to get a promotion,” he said.
Groomers in the service
Social worker Franklyn Dolly, who offers counselling services to police and army officers, said in most cases, junior officers were groomed into having sex with seniors.
“There are groomers in the service; they indirectly prepared their victims for sexual activity by engaging them in conversation about their sexual relationship with their wife, then slowly, over a period of time, these conversations continue, so when he pounces on her, it is so natural, it is not forced, it’s consensual,” Dolly said.
He said he was aware senior officers got into sexual relationships with juniors, but in most instances it was not as a result of pressuring.
“The senior officer is enticed by the junior officer’s youth and beauty and a relationship starts. The only time I hear about sexual harassment is when the relations doesn’t work out,” he said. “It is not a criminal offence, but it is unethical.”
No new phenomenon
The use of sex to gain rank in the armed forces is no new phenomenon.
“It is like a rampant disease, and this has been going on as far back as when I used to lecture in the police college in the 70s,” said Dr Harold Mahabir.
Mahabir was, at one point, an assessment and evaluation specialist contracted by the Ministry of National Security, as part of a team to transform the Police Service.
He said he had seen situations where young female police officers were asked to “give themselves up” and when they refused, they were pressured to the point of discomfort.
“In one instance, a young lady wanted to quit and leave the institution, and after much advice and counselling, she decided to stay on.
“This is unhealthy and highly unethical, and it is predominant in the Police Service.”
He believes the Police Service needs more high-ranking female supervisors who will look after the interest of female trainees.
“We have to look into the system. If we don’t, that situation would fester,” he added.
Sex with a junior illegal
Public relations officer of the T&T Defence Force, Capt Al Alexander, said it was illegal for a senior officer to have a sexual relationship with a junior officer.
“There are two types of individuals in the Defence Force, an officer and an ‘other rank’ and, as in all military, it is illegal for an officer to fraternise with the ‘other rank.’”
He said, though, it was common for a soldier to be in a relationship with another soldier of the same rank.
“That is something that is sanctioned,” he added.
Capt Alexander said he was not aware of any senior officer who was sexually involved with a junior officer.
As to the penalty for such an offence, Capt Al Alexander said the officer was court martialled and disciplinary action taken.
He recalled in 2000, a senior officer was kicked out of the Regiment for being in a sexual relationship with a junior officer.
The senior also was accused of striking the officer, who admitted in open court that they had been involved for about two-and-a-half-years before the incident.
http://www.guardian.co.tt/news3.html
That women are pressured and threatened for sex by senior officials in this day and age is amazing to me. I can only wonder if policy changes would follow these reports. But since it is acknowleged that this has been going on time immemorial, I guess not... :|
I dont believe that having more senior female staff is the solution either. Women who make it to the top in male dominated fields tend to be harsh and unsympathetic, knowing what sacrifices they made to get there, they not about to spoon feed anyone else.
Disturbing.
According to reports, the officer was promoted in April, and was assigned to a special unit in the Police Service.
She worked there for nine months, but after the photos were exposed, she was transferred back to the Fire Service headquarters.
A senior officer linked to the scandal and who escaped disciplinary action, was sent on emergency leave.
Sex for promotion
n Jinelle Simeon (not her real name) was forced to leave the T&T Regiment after she refused to have sex with her superior.
She thought by turning down the sexual advances she would have gained respect from her colleagues, but she was in for a surprise.
She was scoffed at by other female officers, who referred to her as weak. Her superior, who was married, victimised her to the point of tears.
When she couldn’t bear the pressure anymore, she resigned.
n Sharon, meanwhile, worked as a fire-fighter in Jamaica for two years and came to Trinidad to start a new life.
When she joined the service here, she was told she could be promoted only if she slept with her instructor.
She joined, anyway, but after a year, she quit because of constant pressure for sex from senior officers.
n Anne, who was a fire officer several years ago, claimed she was constantly harassed sexually by her instructor.
Frustrated, she complained to the head officer at her station.
She was fired on the spot.
Army females aka mattresses
And the stories continue. While these women chose not to fall into the trap of their seniors, there are many others in the Protective Services who opt to give in, to gain favour from their bosses.
A source in the Regiment revealed that senior male officers physically fought each other to gain possession of female officers.
“If an officer is in the process of scolding a female officer, a senior officer, wanting to be the first one in (sexually), would dismiss him and take over the conversation,” the army officer said.
“The unspoken law is that the highest rank gets first preference to females, then he would hand over the female after he is no longer interested, or if he has someone else in his sights.”
Another officer said females in the army were referred to by their male counterparts as “mattresses or night snacks.”
“This is because of their constant use of sex to be exempted from duty, to have charges swept under the carpet, to get selected to go on courses, or to pass physicals in order to get a promotion,” he said.
Groomers in the service
Social worker Franklyn Dolly, who offers counselling services to police and army officers, said in most cases, junior officers were groomed into having sex with seniors.
“There are groomers in the service; they indirectly prepared their victims for sexual activity by engaging them in conversation about their sexual relationship with their wife, then slowly, over a period of time, these conversations continue, so when he pounces on her, it is so natural, it is not forced, it’s consensual,” Dolly said.
He said he was aware senior officers got into sexual relationships with juniors, but in most instances it was not as a result of pressuring.
“The senior officer is enticed by the junior officer’s youth and beauty and a relationship starts. The only time I hear about sexual harassment is when the relations doesn’t work out,” he said. “It is not a criminal offence, but it is unethical.”
No new phenomenon
The use of sex to gain rank in the armed forces is no new phenomenon.
“It is like a rampant disease, and this has been going on as far back as when I used to lecture in the police college in the 70s,” said Dr Harold Mahabir.
Mahabir was, at one point, an assessment and evaluation specialist contracted by the Ministry of National Security, as part of a team to transform the Police Service.
He said he had seen situations where young female police officers were asked to “give themselves up” and when they refused, they were pressured to the point of discomfort.
“In one instance, a young lady wanted to quit and leave the institution, and after much advice and counselling, she decided to stay on.
“This is unhealthy and highly unethical, and it is predominant in the Police Service.”
He believes the Police Service needs more high-ranking female supervisors who will look after the interest of female trainees.
“We have to look into the system. If we don’t, that situation would fester,” he added.
Sex with a junior illegal
Public relations officer of the T&T Defence Force, Capt Al Alexander, said it was illegal for a senior officer to have a sexual relationship with a junior officer.
“There are two types of individuals in the Defence Force, an officer and an ‘other rank’ and, as in all military, it is illegal for an officer to fraternise with the ‘other rank.’”
He said, though, it was common for a soldier to be in a relationship with another soldier of the same rank.
“That is something that is sanctioned,” he added.
Capt Alexander said he was not aware of any senior officer who was sexually involved with a junior officer.
As to the penalty for such an offence, Capt Al Alexander said the officer was court martialled and disciplinary action taken.
He recalled in 2000, a senior officer was kicked out of the Regiment for being in a sexual relationship with a junior officer.
The senior also was accused of striking the officer, who admitted in open court that they had been involved for about two-and-a-half-years before the incident.
http://www.guardian.co.tt/news3.html
That women are pressured and threatened for sex by senior officials in this day and age is amazing to me. I can only wonder if policy changes would follow these reports. But since it is acknowleged that this has been going on time immemorial, I guess not... :|
I dont believe that having more senior female staff is the solution either. Women who make it to the top in male dominated fields tend to be harsh and unsympathetic, knowing what sacrifices they made to get there, they not about to spoon feed anyone else.
Disturbing.