Yesterday The Royal Gazette reported that a rapist had been allowed out on a community service programme — but was working close to the mother of his victim.Fortunately, the victim does not always stay with her mother, but this issue deserves to raise alarm bells — because of an apparent lack of any communication and policy.The mother did not know that her daughter’s attacker was close by. The prison authorities did not know of the mother’s proximity to the chosen place for community service work.Even though the incident happened in 2005 when the victim was aged 15, try and imagine what would have gone through her mind had she stepped out of her mother’s home and seen her attacker.One can only imagine the trauma she must have gone through at the time and how that trauma would have been reignited had she seen her attacker so close by.Prisoners need rehabilitation, so this newspaper has no issue with the fact the rapist, Tewolde Selassie, was on a programme of community service.But it has to ask, that as Bermuda is such a small place — where are the checks and balances to prevent this type of situation arising?Are there standard procedures, were they followed? Who is responsible? If there are no standard procedures, why not? Will there be in the future?This was a horrifying incident — as the sentence of 25 years in prison suggests. The victim — and her mother — deserve better treatment.Soap opera or Shakespearean tragedy?It is difficult to know where to start — such is the soap opera that has become the Corporation of Hamilton.First there was ‘that lease’ (apparently Mayor Graeme Outerbridge was told in the most crude and blunt way to say no more on the issue publicly), then the report on pay for elected officials, then the Ombudsman saying she would investigate an alleged “lack of transparency” at City Hall.Now the fightback, as Deputy Mayor Donal Smith accuses the Ombudsman of acting outside her remit and basing her investigation on stolen documents. Somehow that sounds familiar.To misquote Shakespeare “Something is rotten in the City of Hamilton.”Want to Tweet with me? Follow me: https://twitter.com/jeremydeacon1