-head of ministry unit
For a cellular phone to “mash up life” as Jamaican singer, Kiprich sang a few years ago
is disbelieving but that is exactly how Trevlyn Nicholson was murdered allegedly by her husband and in the face of continuing concerns the head of the government’s domestic violence unit says that the police force has to do more to battle this scourge.
Nicholson’s death was the second from domestic violence in two days. Nafeeza Khan was knifed to death at her Goed Fortuin home a day earlier and her husband has since also been charged.
When the police response to a report of domestic violence can be reduced to, “go home and mek up with the man” and the victim Cynthia Andrews is later doused with gasoline and burnt beyond recognition at the hands of her reputed husband, there is evident need for a different approach and a more effective response.
Is the new domestic violence policy merely a policy on paper? Though it was launched only in June there are questions about whether it can move beyond paper into real help for women desperately in need.
Geetanjali Geer says the progression from paper policy to real work has already begun, and points to her presence at the helm of the Domestic Violence Unit at the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security as proof, saying that if the Ministry had intended to move slowly her appointment would have been delayed.
She believes in the power of awareness and points out that her initial focus would be on moving around the country to “make Guyanese women more aware of their options and what is right and what is wrong”.
Geer admits to being new in the field, but insists that she is not there to idle, and that she is accountable to Human Services Minister, Priya Manickchand and to the public. The public, particularly women, are the ones she hopes to engage in the coming months on the subject of domestic violence.
In a recent interview with Stabroek News, Geer said, the policy can only work if the Guyana Police Force plays an active role. She said they recognize the role of the force in tackling domestic violence, but noted that the police have to do more. According to her, a letter was recently dispatched to the Police Commissioner (ag) Henry Greene from the desk of the Minister outlining a “few things”.
“In most cases women who are victims of domestic violence see the police as the first option or they come to the Ministry, which is why we are hoping that the police work harder”, Geer said.
She underscored the importance of law enforcement in domestic violence noting that there must be a collaborative effort between stakeholders and the police. Geer cautiously stated that she is in no position to comment on whether provisions can be made for the police to press ahead with cases even when women chose not to give evidence.
“The Minister can certainly answer that”, she said and reiterated same when pointed to a section in the domestic violence policy that indicates stronger sanctions for perpetrators of domestic violence.
Geer emphasizes that the focus of her unit is to go out into communities and start conversations with women, non governmental organizations and community groups among others. She said that public awareness is important, disclosing that within the coming days the unit will unleash an advertising campaign that she hopes will impact on people, adding that even if one woman comes along with her daughter, “we will talk to them and hopefully change the way that one little girl thinks”.
She pointed to the setting up of legal aid clinics across the country as a positive step saying that they hope to sensitize women on the help they can get through legal aid, as part of working towards empowering them.
Geer said the unit is exploring the possibility of having the topics of domestic and sexual violence be debated in schools as the new debating season approaches, noting that it might be the start of a conversation among youths. She disclosed that only recently a meeting was held with local disc jockeys and persons in the media, intended to get them to use the various forums to talk about domestic violence. According to her, the meeting went well since at least one person has since referred a case to the ministry.
“We intend to work and gradually reduce domestic violence in our country and someday, bring this to an end and we recognized that this problem is not just limited to certain areas”, Geer said.
She noted further that the ministry’s approach must involve collaboration with other ministries, namely the Ministries of Health and Amerindian Affairs, in addition to NGOs and other organizations.
No clear structure
in the force
Karen DeSouza of Red Thread agreed with Geer on the point of active community involvement to combat domestic violence. In an interview with this newspaper a few months ago, she said, support at the level of villages and wards must be developed to address the protection of women and children while pointing to the proverbial saying that it takes a village to raise a child, but refashioning it to mean that the village must also protect that child or woman.
She said that it would generally require persons exerting themselves to make changes in their communities, though she underscored the importance of having persons in the community understand what the laws are and what provisions are available to them in the legislation. DeSouza also observed that persons prepared to work on the ground in communities must develop the capacity to keep people’s business confidential.
Further, DeSouza noted that while domestic violence is deepening to murder and grievous bodily harm the police force has no clear structure as to how to deal with it.
She said the figures for the year up to that period [June] were reflective of the force’s inability to effectively deal with the issue. According to her, clear and unequivocal instructions on how to respond to domestic violence is needed in the Guyana Police Force, as is the case in some sectors of the force such as the traffic division. However, she pointed out that domestic violence is more challenging to deal with than traffic reports.
In the current situation that prevails, DeSouza said, the police response really is a matter of luck noting that it depends on “which officer is on duty and how they will respond to a particular matter”.
Though the force offers training for its members, particularly new recruits in the area of domestic violence, DeSouza said more education is required. She added that her organization continues to advocate and fight for the police to treat domestic violence more seriously, and for more effective measures to be put in place to curb domestic violence.
Murdered and
maimed
The year 2007 closed with the death of Sade Stoby from Mocha who was found aback of the village. She had been sexually molested. There were also the brutal murders of teenagers Omadella Peters and Donnis King; Eileen Lall; Nazleen Mohamed; Nastasha Ramen; Melissa Anthony; Basmattie Seecharran and Aloysia Bernard; all the victims of gender-based violence.
Shreemattie Vivekanand was hacked within an inch of her life in December 2007 by her husband who later committed suicide.
On January 6, 2008 Iana Hamilton was stabbed to death in a domestic related dispute; she had gone to the home of her estranged husband and a row later erupted between her and his current girlfriend- there were no deaths in February. Stacy Ann Thomas was knifed to death on March 14 at the hands of her boyfriend.
In April (4) Tamasha Riddle of Kaneville was murdered in her home allegedly by her reputed husband who is currently before the court. The body of Shaneiza Khan was discovered in her Enmore home also in April (20) with her throat slit; allegedly murdered at the hands of her reputed husband following years of abuse. Still in April (8), Nandranie Balkarran of Albion, Corentyne was attacked and chopped about the body by a man who had been pursuing her for sometime; he later committed suicide.
The body of 18-year-old Deokali ‘Tina’ Peter was found lying naked on the roadside at Berbice in May (6). She had been gang raped according to reports and was left for dead on the road following the vicious attack. Another 18-year-old Elsie Shenetta Culley was murdered at Berbice in May (24) allegedly at the hands of a man she had shared a relationship with.
In June (8) Serojanie `Shabana’ Charlie of Corentyne, Berbice was hospitalized following a severe beating at the hands of her husband after she had ended an abusive relationship that had gone on for years. Charlie was beaten with her screaming baby in hand.
Cynthia Andrews was knocked unconscious, doused with gasoline and set alight by her husband after she declared an intention to leave him (July 2). She was burnt beyond recognition according to reports; the man committed suicide.
Less than a week later the lifeless body of Fiona Fraser-McPherson of Supply, East Bank Demerara woman was discovered under a bed in her home with her hands tied and a vest around her neck (July 7). Her husband later turned up at a police station in Berbice, where he allegedly confessed to killing her.
Still in July (15), the battered and naked body of 15-year-old Sheliza Khan was found on the lonely Hope Estate Access Road, East Coast Demerara. She had been struck in the head with an unknown object.
On August 29, Selena Khan was shot dead in her yard when her lover, policeman Trevor Cumberbatch killed her in a fit of rage before turning the gun on himself.