With 457 reports…Berbice records highest domestic violence figures for 2017

Jul 02, 2018 News

With over ten women murdered at the hands of their partners, Berbice has recorded the highest number of domestic violence reports for 2017.
This is according to statistics revealed by the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
During 2017, 482 reports were recorded in ‘B’ Division, 306 in ‘A’ Division, ‘C’ Division had 457 reports, and ‘D’ Division 298, while 75 reports were recorded in ‘E’ Division and 60 and 109 reports respectively in ‘F’ and ‘G’ Divisions.
These reports were predominantly made by women.
The Domestic Violence Prevention Centre (DVPC) says that most women will on average attempt to leave an abusive relationship between five and seven times, before successfully and permanently doing so.
It was highlighted by DVPC that many women make complaints to the police, but do not follow through with prosecution of the perpetrator.
In most instances, abused women would attend court and testify that they no longer wish to proceed with the matter; hence the case is dismissed against the defendant.
Just recently, police charged a man with unlawful assault after he allegedly stabbed his spouse several times with a knife and cuffed her about the body.
It was revealed to the court by the police prosecutor that the man is in the habit of abusing the woman. As such, the prosecutor requested that the man be remanded to prison.
That request was upheld by Magistrate Leron Daly who cited the victim’s safety as ground for remanding the man.
However, when the man made another court appearance two weeks later, the victim expressed her desire of not proceeding with the matter.
With a look of dismay, the Magistrate perused the case docket and asked the woman if she was sure she wanted to end the criminal proceedings.
The woman replied in the affirmative and told the Magistrate that she was unaware of the story making the news headlines.
Turning her attention to counsel for the defendant, the Magistrate inquired of the defendant’s plans regarding the welfare of the woman. The lawyer told the court that his client was willing to move from the house that he shared with his partner.
In a similar case, a taxi driver went before another City Magistrate, this time for assaulting the mother of his two children. The man denied the charge and was placed on bail.
A few minutes after being escorted to the prisoner’s lock-up, the woman was seen paying the man’s bail after which they walked out of the court compound holding hands.
These are just few of the domestic violence cases that are dismissed daily in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, due to the victim’s unwillingness to prosecute.
In some instances, the victims, mostly women, would signal their intention of not continuing with the matter before the charge is even read to the defendant.
Last week, a fisherman from Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara, who allegedly dealt the mother of his son several stabs was charged with attempted murder and was remanded to prison.
According to reports, the woman who is still hospitalized had taken out a protection order against the man. On the day of the stabbing, the man is alleged to have approached the woman and requested to kiss their son.
With the woman not complying, and after an altercation, the man allegedly stabbed the woman repeatedly.
It is the seventh month of the year, and so far, a dozen women have lost their lives from domestic violence related incidents.
A Berbice woman and her daughter are the latest murder victims. The two were killed after a man, their husband and father respectively, went berserk and hammered them to death.

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