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APNU reiterating call to curb increasing interpersonal violence
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) in addressing the increasing prevalence of inter personal violence (IPV) has called on Government Ministries to up their ante in their approach towards addressing IPV.
IPV, according to the Partnership, is defined as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal development, or deprivation.”
APNU, through its leader retired Brig. David Granger, during a press conference yesterday at Hadfield Street, asserted that IPV has become a “countrywide criminal epidemic” in Guyana and he is calling Ministries of Health, Education, Home Affairs, Human Services and Legal Affairs to do their part in curbing this “epidemic.”
Speaking to the Home Affairs Ministry, Granger said that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) should ensure that members of the “Neighbourhood Police, Community Policing Groups (CPGs) and Citizens Security Programmes are trained and given specific roles to identify human safety situations which have the potential to become violent.”
He added that the GPF should establish a Central Domestic Violence Unit at its Head Quarters not only to compile data but to also protect victims of IPV.
According to Granger the Ministry of Education should, through primary education, increase the teachings of values and standards which should be aimed at creating a positive change in the political culture of the country to recognize the worth of other persons more so in “the mentality and factors that contribute to disrespect and the abuse of women and girls.”
He said that the Ministries of Health, Home Affairs and Human Services should ensure greater protection for vulnerable women and girl children. “There should be more sympathetic, well trained law enforcement agencies supported by the establishment of safe homes for abused, battered, sexually exploited and trafficked women and girl children.”
Granger also said that the Ministry of legal Affairs should ensure that the Court Systems are more helpful towards victims of violence. In substantiating his claim he articulated that “persons accused of murdering their wives or partners frequently plead guilty to manslaughter.
“The unlawful taking of a human life has often been treated with leniency and marked by the imposition of sentences of ten years thereabouts.”
The Partnership said that it “iterates its earlier call for the promulgation of the National Plan of Action for the prevention of Interpersonal violence and for the full implementation of National Domestic Violence Policy and the functioning of the National Domestic Oversight Committee.”
The Partnership, last year, called for the need to address interpersonal violence; when the late Deborah Backer outlined that the issue of interpersonal violence is no less important than issues surrounding the Amaila Falls Hydro project.
She had outlined that each person must play their part to address the “epidemic.”She said that it must be acknowledged that Guyanese often look only at the extreme cases of inter-personal violence, but, “we must look at those who have been maimed and disfigured”.
The former Member of Parliament pointed out that those who are subjected to violence, whether psychological or physical can’t perform at their best in any job.
“There are some who are disfigured; some who lose limbs”. Backer said that these all amount to a loss of human resources.”
She had also pointed out that there is economic suffering, through health cost and other areas… “And so there is a direct link between interpersonal violence and the economic standing of a society.”
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