The National Task Force for the Prevention of Sexual Violence will soon be revived.
For a number of years, social activists have appealed for this body to be made operational.
GINA yesterday said that the Ministers of Social Protection, Public Security, Public Health and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs signed on to a protocol to have the Task Force operational.
The event took place yesterday at Parliament in the presence of Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence; Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton; Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan; Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock; Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Dionne McCammon and staff from the Social Protection Ministry.
“The Sexual Offences Act of 2010 prescribed that there be a national task force for the prevention of sexual violence and that task force will be chaired by the Minister of Social Protection, and the task force is comprised of (the) Ministers of Legal Affairs, Public Security, Social Protection, Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Education, Public Health and Local Government,” the Minister explained.
Minister Allicock said, according to GINA, that the task force has been a long awaited necessity and will give justice to victims of domestic violence especially in the hinterland communities.
The Minister said that generally in the hinterland, the Indigenous people who have been abused for too long were not given justice.
Minister Norton said the initiative will better inform medical practitioners.
“The fact that we have this document at our disposal, is a good guide that the medical practitioners will use, and it will also remind them about their duties. Personally I think, actions are not taken because we are not properly informed as medical practitioners of our duties, but this document will correct that,” Norton explained, according to GINA.
Manager of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, Akeelo Doris said the unit which was officially launched at the beginning of October, is geared towards developing policies for the eradication of all forms of violence.
