ANSWER ME, KEITH

But at the same time she issued a series of questions to Rowley calling on him to put “deep and frightening suspicions to rest once and for all” in relation to long-standing rumours over his private conduct in years gone by in which it has been suggested Rowley committed statutory rape.

The Tobago East MP attached to a statement of apology a list of questions relating to Rowley, a move which drew fire from the PNM public relations officer Faris Al Rawi who called the questions “embarrassing” and further called for the minister’s removal from office and for the Government to account for what transpired in Parliament on Wednesday.

In a media statement issued yesterday afternoon, Alleyne-Toppin apologised, “for parts of her statements made in Parliament on Wednesday”.

During debate of a no-confidence motion against Rowley, the Tobago East MP had said, “Mr Speaker let me tell you a story that was given to me by an old man of Mason Hall. One day in Mason Hall, Tobago a young girl went to take lunch for her father in a coalpit. When she got there her father had gone to church. It’s a true story. She, however, met her father’s best friend and co-worker, alone in the coalpit. This young girl was then raped by her father’s best friend. The product today is the aspirant to lofty office.”

Alleyne-Toppin continued, “Mr Speaker, can you imagine that the mother carried this pain for nine months and the impact it had on this unborn child. A child was born and grew to become aggressive, arrogant, bombastic, spiteful. I am not a psychologist – though I have taught psychology – but now we get a glimpse of why a man could be today the sum of his experiences.”

Yesterday, after politicians and women’s groups condemned these remarks in relation to rape, Alleyne-Toppin apologised for the parts of her contribution relating to the story about a young girl being sexually assaulted. In a statement issued through her ministry, she said: “I unreservedly apologise to everyone who was made uncomfortable or outraged because of parts of the statement I made in Parliament. At no time was I intending to cause pain or suffering, or to cause people to reopen old wounds of trauma they may have at some time experienced.”

Alleyne-Toppin also stated: “I do, however, hold firmly to the view that incidents such as these, happening in our own country, must never be swept under the carpet. As difficult as it is, these are conversations we must be having as a people, if we are to protect young girls from experiencing this kind of horrific violation.” But Alleyne-Toppin further said she would stand her ground in relation to a series of questions about Rowley, some of which she asked in Parliament on Wednesday.

“And while I apologise from the heart to anyone who felt hurt by my statements, I intend to stand my ground and will insist that questions that have been asked of the Leader of the Opposition must be answered,” Alleyne-Toppin said yesterday. “Anyone who seeks to hold the top office of Prime Minister must not have such questions that are unanswered, as it questions the depth of character and the emotional intelligence that will influence this person’s decisions that will impact on 1.3 million people.” She listed the questions which she felt Rowley – who was yesterday said by PNM officials to be in Tobago – should answer.

“Questions that Dr Rowley must answer include the paternity of a young man who was the product of a relationship out of wedlock,” Alleyne-Toppin said. “Questions include whether Dr Rowley is the grandfather of one, or in fact, two young children.” She continued, “Questions include whether Dr Rowley knows of any school teacher who was a tenant in Charlotteville? Was he a tenant? Was he boarding (getting meals) by Ms Gray? Was Ms Gray sending her niece to drop meals?” The MP ended her statement by saying, “I will not allow Dr Rowley to use public outrage to hide from the duty he has to answer these questions and put deep and frightening suspicions to rest once and for all.”

In an immediate reaction, Al Rawi yesterday told reporters at Balisier House that the PNM would not run from these questions and would produce “documentary proof” on what had really transpired.

In Parliament, Alleyne-Toppin had pointed to a Newsday article of February 26, 2015, in which Rowley – who is a married father of two – was stated to be the grandfather of two, including one grandchild born to a son from a previous relationship. Alleyne-Toppin asked if this son was Garth Alleyne.

Alleyne-Toppin said, “What is the model, the legacy, the example of this previous relationship? Following on the newspaper article of February 26, 2015, Rowley has not denied that Garth Alleyne is his son. He can take a DNA test to confirm whether or not Garth Alleyne is his son.

“Mr Speaker, we must submit all records to scrutiny. We need to know of the so-called previous relationship mentioned in that article.”

The MP continued, “...It is important for the nation to know all of our stories, past and present, if we must be parliamentarians. None of us is a God beyond fault or error, but there is confession which is good for the soul and there are people in Tobago who have knowledge of a persistent pattern of child abuse by a particular former teacher which we must not ignore.”

Alleyne-Toppin continued, “Mr Speaker, this is a great scam going on for too long. This is time to end it. This Parliament must lead this country to expose the empty monstrous obscene charade parading as leader of the people of Trinidad and Tobago. But latterly, the spectacle at Carnival in San Fernando where another young girl is violated and degraded by the Member of Parliament for Diego Martin West.”

She continued further, “Mr Speaker, the village of Charlotteville maintains a story about a young mother, a minor, a secondary schoolgirl, who was made pregnant and had to abandon her education by a teacher who taught at the Roxborough Secondary School. The honourable MP for Diego Martin West knows that story and cannot deny that statutory rape is a crime, or that only females over the age of 18 can legally give consent for sexual intercourse outside of marriage. Mr Speaker, Act 61 of 2000 defines a child as a person under the age of 18-years-old, and the Sexual Offences Act of 1986 states an adult is a person 18 years of age or more and a minor is a person under 18 years of age.”

Alleyne-Toppin continued, “We need to focus on the meaning of pederasty or child molestation as a serious scourge in our society, destroying countless boys and girls. We must not promote child molesters to eminence. Were the Member for whom we are debating the no confidence Motion here today, I would ask him some questions. I will sit down and give way for him to answer some questions.” No members of the Opposition were in Parliament at the time of these statements. Efforts to reach Rowley yesterday were unsuccessful.