have a licence to have a child' Dr. Valerie James By Gareth Finighan A former Police medical officer is calling for sex offenders to be castrated as a form of punishment.

And Dr. Valerie James also argues that women should have to obtain a licence before they are allowed to have children.

Dr. James, who worked as a Police and Prisons medical officer between 1985 and 1993, claimed that the drastic measures were needed to help solve the problem of children growing up in Bermuda without adequate parenting -- "a topic which is central to what ails Bermuda''.

She said that the vast majority of the Island's social problems were as a result of children, many of whom are born to teenage mothers, growing up without fathers.

Referring to her experiences as a Police medical officer Dr. James said: "I was struck by the number of prisoners who had not had a significant father in their lives.

"Quite often their mother had several children with different `fathers'. The pattern of behaviour was continued in the next generation, with these fatherless men fathering children with several women.'' Dr. James was speaking out after a Sandys man received just 18 months i mprisonment after pleading guilty to having unlawful carnal knowledge with a teenage girl.

And statistics released by the Department of Health show that, in the 12 months until April 1998, 27 girls 16 and under became pregnant. In the past four years more than 100 girls have become pregnant.

Dr. James said: "How many cases of unlawful carnal knowledge are actually taken to trial? "Society must take a more active role against the older men who prey on young girls.

"My punishment for unlawful carnal knowledge would be to remove a testicle as this man is obviously using his irresponsibly. If he repeats the offence then he loses his remaining testicle and the offence will not occur again.

"Most people feel this is a bit drastic. I think it would reduce the incidence of unlawful carnal knowledge quite dramatically.

"My other unpopular suggestion is that women should have to have a licence to have a child. You have to have a licence to drive a car and own a dog. Isn't raising a child at least as difficult as driving a car? "This licensing procedure could only be instituted if women -- or men -- had to take some sort of antidote to enable conception rather than taking a pill to not conceive.

"You and your partner -- it would not necessarily require a marriage but you would have to be in a serious relationship -- would have to show that you satisfy certain prerequisites before you can have a birth permit. Two requirements for example would be that you are at least 21 and employed.

"This would obviously not guarantee perfect parents and perfect children but it can't be as bad as what is happening now.'' Dr. James insisted that educating youngsters about birth control would not solve the problem of single parent families.

And she urged the Island's political leaders to start tackling the problem.

"The frightening aspect of this trend is that these pregnancies are rarely accidents,'' she said.

"This is not a racial issue, although many will try to make it one with the inevitable consequences. Black people are as good at being parents as white or yellow people. But young black, white or yellow people are not good parents.

"I have never heard any politician from any party address this issue. Perhaps they do not think it is an issue. Perhaps they do not think it is a problem, but, more likely, they are concerned about offending their voters. That is the nature of party politics.'' WHAT THE STATISTICS SAY April 1997-98: 27 girls 16 and under becames pregnant In the past four years more than 100 girls have become pregnant