From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
Domestic violence in The Bahamas accounts for 25 percent of regional murders
By Matt Maura, BIS
Sep 19, 2012 - 5:41:30 PM
![9B7H2328.jpg](http://www.thebahamasweekly.com/uploads/11/9B7H2328.jpg)
Minister of National Security, Dr. The Hon. Bernard J. Nottage (second left) and Director of The Bahamas Crisis Centre, Dr. Sandra Dean-Patterson, share a photo with officials from the Royal Bahamas Police Force attached to the Urban Renewal Programme 2.0. Dr. Nottage said the Programme is one of the vehicles the Government of The Bahamas will utilise to help drive down the incidences of domestic violence/abuse within the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Pictured (from left) are: Superintendent of Police, Royal Bahamas Police Force, Mr. Stephen Dean who serves as Co-Commander of the Urban Renewal Programme 2.0; Dr. Nottage; Dr. Dean-Patterson; Inspector Anthony Rolle, Officer-in-Charge, Police Division, Bain and Grants Town Urban Renewal Project Office, West, and Inspector Kirk Douglas, Officer-in-Charge, Police Division, Nassau Village Urban Renewal Project Office. (BIS Photo/Kristaan Ingraham.)
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NASSAU, The Bahamas
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Domestic
violence/relational disputes are a major cause for the surge in violent
crime in the region, accounting for an astonishing 25 per cent of the
murders committed in the Caribbean.
Minister
of National Security, Dr. the Hon. Bernard J. Nottage, said statistics
indicate that almost 1,200 cases of domestic violence are reported
annually within The Bahamas.
“However,
according to the Bahamas Crisis Centre, the number of cases are
actually higher when reports that they receive from other sources are
considered,” Dr. Nottage added.
Dr.
Nottage said the re-introduction of the Urban Renewal Programme is one
of the vehicles the Christie Administration has implemented, or will
implement, to reduce the incidences of domestic violence within the
country.
Addressing
delegates from around the region attending the Bahamas Crisis Centre’s
Regional Peace Conference which opened its sessions Wednesday morning
here in New Providence, Dr. Nottage said the “very high level of
domestic violence and abuse in the region appears to be due to a
breakdown in the social structures.”
“The impact of the family, the church and the schools on behaviour has
lessened considerably, and is seen to be a problem in western societies
in general,” Dr. Nottage said. “Your presence here is evidence that the
countries within our region are all seeking answers to the problems of
domestic violence. It also underscores the importance of collaboration
among partners to root out the spectre of this appalling crime from
among us.
“We
must continue to put our collective minds together in pursuing
solutions to our social problems if we are going to make the region safe
for ourselves, for those who visit us, and for our future generations.
We must find the solutions if we are to achieve our countries’ national
objectives for economic growth and development,” Dr. Nottage added.
Dr.
Nottage said given the “multidimensional approaches” that are being
undertaken to break the cycle of violence in regional communities, it
appears that emphasis must still be placed on preventative measures.
“We
must deal with the causes of crime. We know that much of the violence
that takes place is - to a great extent - rooted in deep social
issues,” Dr. Nottage said.
“We
(therefore) have to understand the root causes behind violent and
criminal behaviour and seek to change individual and social
circumstances that give rise to such behaviour.
“We
must increase our efforts to get ordinary citizens themselves playing
their part in rooting out the causes of crime. We need to develop
responsible communities that do not tolerate criminality; that are
willing to report crimes when they see them, and refuse to protect or
cover up for the criminals. We need to ensure that criminals and their
supporters are not held in high regard in their communities by virtue
of the financial support that they bring into the community,” Dr.
Nottage added.
Dr.
Nottage said it was exactly this same type of thinking that served as
the impetus for the reintroduction of the Urban Renewal Programme by the
Perry G. Christie Administration upon its return to office four months
ago.
“That
is why my Government has placed strong emphasis on the Urban Renewal
Programme that seeks to ascertain the socio-economic conditions that
exist at the household and community levels (as) r
esearch
that has been conducted on domestic and sexual violence indicates that
it affects persons of all ages, social, ethnic and economic strata,” Dr.
Nottage said.
“Because
violence is such a part of the human condition, some persons may want
to regard it as something inevitable and that cannot be prevented. We
know, however, that violent behaviour and its consequences can be
prevented but, as Nelson Mandela once remarked: ‘Safety and security
don’t just happen; they are the result of collective consensus and
public investment.’
“I
trust that you will leave this conference having agreed to additional
strategies and programmes that can be implemented to bring about a
greater degree of peace in our homes and in our communities. My
Government stands ready to make the necessary investments in this area
as we see it as key to the security of our people and the development of
our nation,” Dr. Nottage added.
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