New Domestic Violence Intervention Centres in Coming Weeks

704 cases of domestic violence have been referred to the 4 existing domestic violence intervention centres at police stations in St. Thomas and St. Andrew this year.

The centres have been established under the European Union, (EU) and the United Nations, (UN) spotlight initiative aimed at ending all forms of violence against women and girls. 6 new DVI centres will be up and running primarily in hotspot parishes over the next few weeks.

Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson says, of the 704 domestic violence cases recorded up to September 2021, a number of them were dealt with by specialist staff while others were referred to the dispute resolution foundation and the Ministry Of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport.

He says the 6 new domestic violence intervention centres virtually launched on Thursday, are an important next step. One of the centres located at the greater Portmore police station is already operational.

European Union ambassador to Jamaica, Marianne Van Steen while citing a report from the World Health Organization, (WHO) which shows that approximately 42 percent of all women have experienced some form of violence, describes this as a less visible pandemic that cannot be ignored. Meanwhile, Gender Affairs Minister, Olivia Grange calls the handing over of the 6 DVI centres a ‘watershed moment’.

More in this CVM Live story from Aladden Love: