Consistent sentencing

Has justice been served? The sentence cop-killer Ridge Damisse received on appeal is at least higher than the punishment the Lower Court administered: 25 instead of 20 years.

The court ruled that a life sentence is not in order and that Damisse’s return to the community must not be excluded forever. In the background plays the consideration of consistent sentencing.

On an emotional level those close to the late Police Officer Gamali Benjamin will have trouble coming to terms with this, but on a rational level the position of the court makes a lot of sense: equal punishment for equal crimes.

That also goes for Damisse’s co-defendant Jovanny Leon who saw his prison term go up from 8 to 15 years – a just decision considering his involvement in a crime that has shocked the community.