Up to May this year, 755 domestic violence cases were filed across four of ten magisterial districts, Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus related on Friday at a conference on the problem.
Red Thread hosted a one-day conference to facilitate the sharing of the findings of their project titled “Engaging Commu-nities for Improved Implementation of Domestic Violence Laws”. In attendance were members of the police force, including Crime Chief Paul Williams, Acting Chief Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus and civil servants working to promote the eradication of domestic violence.
The project, which began in March 2016, was aimed at fostering a systematic and holistic approach to addressing domestic violence in Guyana. Its objectives were to “help change communities’ attitudes and perceptions about domestic violence and to interrupt the cycle of violence”; “to examine the performance of the police and the court in the implementation of domestic violence laws”; and to “make recommendations to develop the capabilities of responsible institutions and systems—specifically the police and the courts—to respond to domestic violence reports/case”.