Government backbencher Patrice Minors claimed last night that young women "on the arms of thugs" are not innocent when it comes to the crimes perpetrated by their partners.

She told the House of Assembly during the Motion to Adjourn debate that it was up to females in the community to stop supporting men who make the wrong lifestyle choices.

"These thugs are nobody if they have no girl," she said. "You let these women move away from them, I truly believe you see some changes. Who are they impressing?"

Mrs. Minors said women had a big part to play in helping change the lifestyles of young men involved in crime and violence, including by reporting their activities to Police. "Rat on [them]," she said. "Do what must be done."

The PLP MP added: "I'm challenging the women of Bermuda: the mothers, the sisters, the aunts, the girls who think it's cool to have a thug as a boyfriend. We need to have our young women who are so wrapped up in this thug lifestyle to realise that 'going with him is not going to get me to be productive and successful in life'. It may be sweet now, but it will turn bitter later."

Mrs. Minors said she expected to "catch flak from the sisters out there" for her comments but that it was important that it be pointed out.

She said the violence plaguing the Island — including last week's gun murder of 30-year-old Kumi Harford — was caused by young people growing up in a home environment that didn't prepare them for dealing with the issues they would face as adults. "We need to reverse the curse at birth," she said.

Fellow PLP backbencher Ashfield DeVent touched on the same theme in his remarks. He said last time he spoke about the need for women to use the power they possessed, he was flogged on the radio talk shows. But he said: "I ask them to exercise that power over the men in their lives."

He talked about visiting Senegal where he witnessed a very different culture regarding women's expectations about their partners.

"I guess it was how we were, before," he said. "Where women, or the young girls, seemed to be interested in somebody who had something going for himself, he had to be something.

"That encouraged the young guys; they were attempting to do something. I think the idea is that once you make children you have to do something to look after them and the women weren't particularly interested in someone who might not be able to help."

The Pembroke South East MP said the latest violence involved his constituency and that of fellow PLP backbencher Michael Weeks, who represents Pembroke East Central. Mr. DeVent said those areas were historically neglected, with drugs "always" having been sold on St. Monica's Road and nothing being done to stop it.

"This is not a new thing," he said. "These problems that we face today didn't just drop out of the sky. These seeds that were planted generations ago... have grown into this big tree that has got us all frightened because of what's happening today."