-the scourge of domestic violence
DOMESTIC violence is the leading cause of injury to women in particular. It wreaks more havoc than road accidents. It is widespread and crosses racial and socio-economic lines. The year 2011 has seen an alarming increase in the number of women being savagely pummelled and viciously destroyed by the significant other in their lives.
In one instance, in less than two weeks, four women had lost their lives as a result of domestic violence.
This does not mean that men are not also victims of such violence; but while this is so, data is lacking to reflect the effects of domestic violence on men.
Despite the awareness, urgings and interventions by those in authority for victims of abusive relationships to seek help before their situations escalate to that fatal stage, some women incredibly still subject themselves to the scourge of domestic violence.

Whose inaction?
In the past, there were complaints about police inaction; but while there is room for improvement in regard to police intervention, it is certainly a fact that regardless of the significant efforts
from governmental and non-governmental organizations to deal with domestic violence, at the end of the day, victims bear responsibility for accessing whatever help is available.
It is a given that some women, for the sake of LOVE, would endure any amount of suffering from their male partners. You hear of their “wanting to save the marriage for the children’s sake”, an act of folly that redounds to their own peril.
An incident occurred on Tuesday evening in the residential community of Somerset Court, at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, where I live, and it has again brought home to me the stark reality that some women may never ever learn.
I arrived home at sometime after 20:00h, and after some 20 minutes, was informed by a relative that one female resident was being abused by her reputed husband for some four hours; and that despite wanting to assist, neighbours were at their wits’ end on how to accomplish this.
Some residents living in close proximity to the distressed female related that the abuse was a constant happening; that it sometimes occurred during the wee hours of the morning; and that the female’s cries for help were mostly heart-wrenching.
I also heard on Tuesday night that some residents had given up on calling the Providence Police Station, a mere stone’s throw away, because of promises and flimsy excuses, which oft-times do not fructify.
Being the newsperson that I am, and with guilt nagging my conscience should serious harm befall that woman, who earlier had from behind a padlocked gate sought help from a security before being forcibly dragged back to receive more blows, I made the trek to the police station to lodge a report.
I was greeted there by three individuals who were in conversation, two dressed in police garb and another in civilian clothing. They informed me that someone with whom I should speak was inside.
Inside, a female Lance Corporal was manning the desk. When told that a previous report was made, she acknowledged receiving such a report and advised that it had been passed on to the Central Operations Room of the Guyana Police Force, and that a patrol was on its way to the scene.
I then walked back to Somerset Court, where, with other residents, I awaited the arrival of the patrol, even as the cries of the woman were being heard.
As the wait for the arrival of the patrol became more agonizing, I telephoned the Providence Police Station and requested a number to reach the Central Operations Room; and subsequently, I spoke with the supervisor in charge.
Credit must be given to the patrol officers who, upon their arrival, were very professional in their approach, and later escorted both parties to the Providence Police Station.
However, to my dismay, later in the morning, when I sought information from another resident who lives closer to the victim, I was shocked to learn that the same woman who was screaming for help had told the police that she did not want to give a statement against her ‘husband’, because she did not want him to be locked up; and that she felt sorry for him.
The victim also reiterated this in a telephone conversation with me, but did mention that the position she had adopted was taken out of fear that her reputed husband would make good previous threats that, should she ever report him to the police, he would evict her from the home.
The woman also relayed that due to mortgage and child-support commitments, her husband could not properly maintain the home, and she had been his major financial support for over two years, even paying his car installments for him.
I was even more surprised when a female police officer at the Providence Station indicated to the effect that the man could not have been charged because there were no marks of violence on the woman’s body, and that the woman had refused to give a statement against him.
Words were also spoken to the effect that we, the neighbours, should stop meddling in the couple’s affairs.

The Domestic Violence Act
I dare remind of aspects of the Domestic Violence Act which gives police the authority to enter any premises without a warrant if there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that a protection order has been breached, or that an individual has suffered, or is in “imminent danger” of suffering “physical injury”;  that the attending officer is obliged to render assistance to the victim, including taking measures to ensure that the victim receives medical assistance, and is brought to a safe location as warranted by the situation; that the officer must also inform the victim of his or her rights, make a full report of the incident, and maintain the confidentiality of those involved.
Some victims, it has been observed, are still unaware of their rights, and may be too afraid to file a complaint against the abuser.

Rethink
It is instances such as this one which cause neighbours to rethink whether they should be their brother’s keeper in regard to acts of domestic violence, and whether they should seek to report such acts whenever they are privy to it.
The cry then goes up that society has failed the victims, when society is even frustrating those who are seeking to help arrest the scourge.