Domestic abuse cases pervasive in court

Feb 06, 2011 News

Unlawful assault and malicious wounding are just few of the domestic violence offences that had begun to plague the judiciary.
With courts sitting every working day of the week, more and more cases
of domestic abuse find its way before the jurists.
Despite the tireless campaign by women activist groups, lobbying for violence against women more incidents are being reported.
A senior magistrate said that although a large number of cases are before the court there are still women out there who are afraid to come to the forefront and make their suffering known.
Based on a study carried out to determine the cause for such pervasiveness, it was found that in most cases the victim depends mainly on the abuser for a livelihood.
Some victims even go as far as to inform the court that they no longer wish to proceed with the matter.
Most time, the same perpetrators ended back before the court to answer to charges of similar magnitude.
So is the court doing enough to curb the occurrence? The magistrate added that there is only so much that the court can do, provided that they find these accused guilty.
She said that victims of this kind of assault have the power in their hands to curtail their suffering.
“I don’t believe that any court or organisation can stop domestic violence …The victims have to first realize what they are being put through and terminate the cause” said the magistrate.
A victim, who has just ended a ten-year abusive relationship, related that after taking into consideration the number of years that she had been married to her abuser, she decided to stay and save her marriage.
There have been instances where the abusers carry out their unlawful act while being intoxicated. The question is being asked if alcohol can be blamed for these men persistent abusive behaviour habit.
Commenting on the issue, a senior magistrate affirmed that seven out of ten cases can be blamed on excessive alcohol consumption.
One case of a similar nature was Outar Shivpersaud, 44, who resides at 56 West Canje, Berbice. After being placed before Adela Nagamootoo he pleaded guilty to beating his wife on several occasions, hence he was sentenced to six months in jail. The woman told the magistrate that on the day in question her husband approached her and demanded that she get on his bicycle. As a result of him being intoxicated she declined.
Her husband became angry and took off the bar from his bicycle and dealt his wife several lashes to her head and body. She fell to the ground and was subsequently rescued by eye witnesses who took her to the New Amsterdam Hospital.
Outar was described by the court as a frequent offender of offences similar in nature.
Although he pleaded for pity, the magistrate saw no need to grant him mercy.
Earlier this week, Lance Corporal Jermine Jackson of the Guyana Defence Force was granted $30,000 bail by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry for beating his girlfriend.
The court was told that the man after reading a text his girlfriend had received on her cellular phone inflicted a severe beating on the woman.
And the trend continued at 134 Albouystown, Georgetown, when a woman sustained injuries to her face and rear after being burnt by her boyfriend.
The perpetrator who gave his name to the court as Troyden Reece, allegedly took a hot electric clothes iron and pressed it to the woman face and rear after reading a text message on her phone.
Last year was said to be the bloodiest of all years and was described as a “bad year for woman”; mainly because of the brutal deaths of numerous women due to domestic violence. More so, during the three-month period January-March; six women were murdered by their male partners.

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Domestic abuse cases pervasive in court

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