Attorney General (AG) Dame Lois Browne-Evans has been urged to update legislation to greater protect victims of violent and sexual crime.

The Women's Resource Centre wrote to the AG in December in a bid to get a better service for victims who have to go through identity parades and give evidence in court.

Chairwoman Penny Dill said she had not yet had a response from Dame Lois, but was hopeful the issues raised were being considered.

In her letter, Mrs. Dill said the centre wanted to see prosecutors give better guidance and support to victims who have to appear in court to give evidence.

She said, at present, they are given very little advice on what to expect and often are only notified of the court case a day or two before they have to appear.

And the chairwoman said she also wanted to see mace or pepper spray legalised so women could carry it as some form of protection against attacks.

But the charity's major priority on the list of possible improvements was the urgent need for a suitable identity parade suite to be set up.

At present, victims of physical and sexual assaults are often expected to stand in front of the people in the parade, including the suspect, before openly making their choice by touching one of them on the arm.

Mrs. Dill said no victim of any crime, especially a violent one, should be expected to face their assailant.

The chairwoman said: "We want changes in legislation to enable identity parades to be structured differently.

"It is unfair on the victim and not in the best interests of justice to have them come face to face with the suspect. They are not necessarily going to make the best decisions if they are under that much stress.

"What is the point if the victim is going to be so shaken and shattered at the idea of having to touch on the arm the person they believed had harmed them.

"There should be, at the very least, a one-way screen between the two sets of people, or separate rooms set up to hold the parades.'' But she said the Resource Centre was also going to write to Director of Public Prosecutions Khamisi Tokunbo in a bid to get victims more informed about what will happen when they go to court.

The centre's lawyer Susan Moore-Williams said: "The victim should be more informed about what is happening with court proceedings.

"They never seem to know when they will have to take the stand, or what will happen when they do take the stand, or what kind of questions they are going to be asked. We believe it is for prosecutors to do that.'' In October of last year, The Royal Gazette reported how a woman who had been mugged and injured on the railway trail had complained to Police after being forced to face the suspect in an identity parade.

She said: "I was not given as much instruction as I had believed I would be and I was very shaky - it was very intimidating.

"My overriding feeling was that I just wanted to get out of there.'' She praised Police for the sensitive way they handled the case, but said more sensitivity had to be given to the way victims felt after the furore of the crime had gone.

A spokesman for the Police said at the time that officers were sensitive to the fact that female assault victims could experience some discomfort during identity parades, especially when there was no barrier.

And he said new options were being explored.

He said: The rights of the accused must also be taken into full consideration.

"One of the guidelines directing this procedure specifically states that once an ID parade has been formed, everything thereafter pertaining to it should take place in the presence and hearing of the accused.

"If a two-way mirror is to be used, the accused must have a representative on the other side of the mirror that can verify the proceedings.

"We allow that there can be some improvements to this process, and several options have been identified to address both the issues of sensitivity and basic rights of all concerned.

It is not law for Police who are carrying out an ID parade using a two-way mirror to ensure the accused is represented, but a safeguard of Bermuda Police policy.

Dame Lois was not available for comment last night.

Penny Dill CRIME CRM