The Big Issues

Making Abusers Accountable: R. Kelly & Lessons for the Caribbean

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In this episode we talk about sexual abuse, power, and accountability, in the wake of the very recent conviction of the popular American R&B singer R. Kelly for multiple crimes including sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping, and  sex trafficking. The convictions came after more than two decades of Kelly fighting such accusations in criminal and civil court, and at times settling them out of court. Since the 1990s in fact, R. Kelly had been hounded by accounts of abuse and misconduct. 

In a nutshell, his abuses centred on the predatory pursuit of teenage girls, and running and trapping his partners in abusive, controlling relationships, within what's been described by some outlets as a sex cult. Today, with our two guests from Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis, we discuss abuse more generally and in a Caribbean context. We ask: What can we learn about the nature of sexual abuse, power, and our society from the case of R. Kelly? And how do we compel accountability?

We tackle topics like: 

  • Years passing after multiple accusers or accusations, yet no justice for the accused.
  • Keeping one's position of power or trust, despite credible accusations being public.
  • Grooming and preying on children and teens for sex.
  • Organizing rings to procure people (often vulnerable) for sex - sex trafficking.
  • Abuse through transactional sex - sex in exchange for "x".
  • Male attitudes toward sex, sexual abuse, and women.
  • Sexual abuse in Black communities against women, girls and boys. 
  • Victim shaming and blaming - saying accusers are seeking fame, attention, money, or petty vengeance.
  • The difficulty in coming forward with an allegation of assault, rape, molestation, harassment etc.
  • How fans treat their celebrities' work, when abuse becomes known.
  • Silencing victims - hush money, bribes, threats, victimization, out of court agreements,

    • The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

    1. Linisa George, an activist, a writer, and a storyteller whose work focuses on the Afro-Caribbean experience of black women and girls.
    2. Naeemah Hazelle, Deputy Director of the National Counselling Centre in St. Kitts and Nevis. Naeemah studied sociology and psychology, specializing in gender and race, and obtained her master’s degree in counselling psychology from the UWI. She   has over 20 years of experience working with youth communities in St. Kitts and Nevis in the areas of Health and Family Life Education, guidance and counselling, juvenile justice, and NGO development.


      3. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on October 3rd, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

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      The Big IssuesBy The Big Issues Production Team