high praise from organisations which deal with the victims and perpetrators of such crimes.

But there is one word missing from the new legislation which each organisation would like to see: rehabiliation.

Ms Susan Boyd, member of the Women's Resource Centre steering committee said her organisation was "extremely pleased'' that MPs accepted the amendments, but she was quick to add more action is needed.

"What they need to do now is carry this one step further and show their sincerity by budgeting for the rehabilitation of sexual offenders,'' she said.

"They are saying they would like to see rehabilitation, but they have to show that they mean it.'' Ms Boyd said it is now up to the community at large to show their support by agreeing to help fund victim assistance and perpetrator rehabilitation programmes, and make it known to their Parliamentarians.

"Only then will parliamentarians make it a part of their budget,'' she said, adding the public must also hold the courts accountable for the sentences handed down to criminals.

"All of these sentences are at the discretion of judges,'' Ms Boyd said.

"We'd like to see judges take (the legislation) as a message that these crimes are being taken very seriously by the community.'' Mr. Richard Smith said the Physical Abuse Centre also welcomed the increased penalties.

"We think that women now will have a recourse if they are abused by a spouse or a boyfriend,'' he said.

But Mr. Smith added rehabilitation of the offender must go hand-in-hand with the tougher laws.

"Without the rehabilitation, there is no improvement on the batterer and once he is released from incarceration, the whole thing will just start over again.'' He said steps towards the development of a treatment system for sex offenders should begin immediately, although he saw no need to delay implementation of the new laws.

The Physical Abuse Centre will look into rehabilitation for abusers over the next few months, and Mr. Smith said suggestions concerning facilities and programmes will be forthcoming.

Mr. Smith also said there needed to be more sources of assistance for battered and abused individuals.

"I don't think there can ever be too much help for victims,'' he said.

Executive director of the Prisons Fellowship of Bermuda, the Rev. Glenn Caines, said "a firm commitment should be evident in the legislation to treat offenders''.

Although extended prison sentences may give the community a sense of security and prevent reoccurance to some extent, the offender himself will not change, he said.

Rev. Caines said individual therapy for sex offenders "confronting and changing them'' was needed.

"Rapists must understand what their actions have inflicted upon their victim and their family'', he said.

He added this could mean "going through layers and layers'' of emotional walls which could reveal that they were victims of abuse themselves.

He said steps should also be taken by Government to make sure that victims receive the emotional and psychological support necessary to help them deal with such a traumatic experience, rather than leaving them "to fend for themselves''.