bring-back-the-birch call.

Shadow Social Services Minister Renee Webb branded Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness "a barbarian'' after he said he wanted to see the reintroduction of corporal punishment for criminals.

She said: "He should be ashamed of himself -- violence is on the increase in Bermuda and it's a travesty for a Government minister to advocate violence like the beating of adults.

"Violence begets violence and that's a fact. Beating a man will not cure him but rather make him more angry at the society he is lashing out against.

Bringing back the birch won't act as a deterrent from criminal activity, just as having capital punishment on our books hasn't acted as a deterrent against murder.'' Ms Webb said the United Bermuda Party had failed to introduce more humane methods of combating crime, like mentoring programmes in schools and rehabilitation schemes in prisons.

She added: "They would rather use violence against people, whether criminals or schoolchildren, instead of taking time out to introduce effective programmes.

"We have continued to increase the sentencing for certain crimes and none of it has been a deterrent -- we have to look at more enlightened methods like psychological or psychiatric counselling.

"If Mr. Edness doesn't know that at this point in his life, he should resign and go and learn about basic human rights.'' But last night Mr. Edness said that Government had worked towards rehabilitation of offenders and would continue to do so.

He added he was opposed to capital punishment and until recently had opposed corporal punishment as well.

But he said Bermuda faced a rising tide of violence and firm action was needed to protect Bermudians and visitors.

He added that prison should also be made tougher by introducing hard labour to frighten people off from re-offending.

"I believe with what has been done there has been some successes in rehabilitation -- unfortunately there haven't been enough of them and more has to be done.

"It's time the public knew the truth -- no country anywhere in the world has been able to rehabilitate a high percentage of their criminal element to any satisfactory degree.

"When I read of young children stealing bikes from other young children and of teenage gangs running through Bermuda robbing people at public events like Harbour Nights, I believe that the birch applied sharply in the right place would prevent these youngsters going on to develop into a life of crime.

"The birch applied by itself won't be the answer but it's something which should be considered at this time.

"What is driving me is that it will take very few more of the types of crime we have seen recently to have Bermuda declared an unsafe destination. That will affect every man, woman and child in the Country and I can't stand by and see that happen.

Minister under fire "We have to consider the birch and a lot of other things to ensure Bermuda goes no further in the way of crime.'' Mr. Edness said that other initiatives could include targeting at-risk children, including ones from single-parent families and born to teenage mothers, who are known to be most likely to get in trouble with the law.

And he called for programmes to cut down on the number of teenage pregnancies by targeting schoolgirls and schoolboys, plus more support for families with a weak family structure and ways of combating absentee fathers.

Mr. Edness added that the birch -- although not used for around 30 years -- was still on the statute books.

And he claimed that some Magistrates would like to use the option of the birch, but were scared of a backlash from the public.

But Mr. Edness said he felt there could be public backing for the birch to be used again.

"If there was public backing -- and that is my reason for bringing this up -- then Magistrates and Judges would apply it.'' But Ms Webb said public support did not make birching right.

She said: "Throwing Christians to the lions in ancient Rome probably had public support -- but they didn't know any better. Approaching the start of the 21st Century, we should.''