Top Cop Wishes End to Violence in the New Year

Published:  Friday, December 21, 2012

ANNA-LISA PAUL

“I want that people can just share love with each other and my vision is for citizens to walk every part of T&T free from any form of interference and crime.” This is the wish of acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams for the citizens of this country as 2013 approaches.

Williams made the disclosure when asked by reporters on Wednesday what he wanted to see in the coming year as he spoke of a reduction in violent crime in the past four months. Speaking at a promotion exercise at the Police Administration Building, Port-of-Spain, Williams said while the police service was forging ahead with its plan to make T&T safer, it was his personal wish to get to the point “where crime is not a dominant issue on the lips of every citizen.”

He said: “T&T has been struck with too much violence over the years. We need to see the disappearance of violence from our society,” the acting top officer said. “All that we can do as an organisation, we will do it, but we are beseeching citizens to think twice before they act in a violent manner.”

Williams said the police service stood ready to assist in the area of anger management and that all resources would be directed towards helping citizens.


Boasting of a major reduction in serious crimes, especially violent crimes for the period September to November, Williams said: “We were averaging 35.5 murders per month for the first eight months of the year but for September, October and November, we averaged 25 murders per month. We are hoping to keep it at 25 or even less for the month of December.”

Attributing this reduction to the improved partnerships at the community level, a smiling Williams said: “The police service has received extensive co-operation from the general public in the last four months and that has helped us to improve our delivery of policing services across the country. We shall surely win the battle against crime and criminality as we continue to work in partnership.”

Urging business owners to call on the police for assistance whenever necessary, especially during the Christmas season, Williams vowed: “We are doing everything possible so while the public is out enjoying, we will be policing to make T&T a safer place for all. We aim to continue the good work seen over the last four months as we continue to reach out to the people of T&T for their continued co-operation and support.”

Asked what the police service counted as its major challenge in 2012, Williams said it was constantly being challenged in the area of crime statistics, as the official homicide count for 2012 up to Tuesday stood at 405. “While we recognise that sometimes in educating the nation on issues around crime might be important, as there were 405 homicides in T&T up to yesterday (Tuesday), there is a major distinction between homicides and murders.”

Williams said homicides included murders, police killings, matters where the Director of Public Prosecutions ruled that a defendant should be charged with murder, and unnatural deaths. “There is conflict and confusion with numbers, but it is really about a misunderstanding as it relates to terminology.


You hear the executive speaking about murders and this conflicts with homicides, because some people use the terms interchangeably. But they are clearly two distinct terms,” he explained.

He said the official murder toll up to Tuesday stood at 365. Asked about  initiatives in place to fight crime in Laventille and surrounding communities, Williams said: “We continue to work with Laventille and surrounding communities in a focused and special way. The emphasis is on this because close to 26 percent of murders for 2012 have occurred in Laventille and the surrounding communities.”

“It is a small geographical space in T&T responsible for an extremely large percentage of violent crimes, and from a policing perspective, it is critical for us to focus on this small geographical space to make a difference on the national average. We will be moving forward by engaging people to improve life for those residents, and we believe we can see a resultant drop if we continue to do what we have already started.”

Source:  http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2012-12-21/top-cop-wishes-end-violence-new-year

Magistrates Shun Cases of Domestic Violence

 

Rape Crisis director: 

Magistrates shun cases of domestic violence

Published:  Friday, December 14, 2012

Camille Clarke

 

Marian Taylor, director of the Rape Crisis Society, says magistrates do not show an interest in cases of domestic violence and this needs to change with workshops and education programmes. Taylor was speaking during the commemoration of the conclusion of the 16 days of activism on the elimination of gender-based violence at City Hall, Port-of-Spain.

The forum was a collaboration between the Rape Crisis Society (RCS) and the Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CADV). Taylor said the court was the only medium to treat with domestic violence in a professional manner. She added: “I am of the view that magistrates are not interested in those reports. It is a system where your matter can be transferred to another court or traffic court and only a magistrate who has a keen interest should be in those courts.”

Taylor said everyone should take an interest in people who were victims of domestic violence, even neighbours. She added: “Children become dysfunctional at an early age and end up being part of our criminal society. Domestic violence is everybody’s business.

You can’t count on the Government or judiciary alone. You need to take responsibility and report it. If we were in that situation you would like someone to assist you.” Taylor said there were and are workshops which included magistrates to sensitise them to the issues.

Dr Varma Deyalsingh, board member of Aspire (Advocates for Safe Parenthood) and general secretary of the Association of Psychiatrists, said victims should leave abusive relationships. He noted there was a rise in violence worldwide which had many contributing factors.

“We are not just seeing problems with impulse control. It is easy to act out emotional stress which is a part of impulsive aggression and violent behaviour,” he added. Deyalsingh said the recent violent act against a child in which her cheeks were allegedly bitten by a relative could have been due to his childhood, jealousy towards the child, pathological problems, use of illicit drugs, lack of food and sex.

He said violent behaviour also could also be caused by a chemical imbalance or a stroke. “A perpetrator could have lost it in a fit of rage and act out on the child or to get back at the mother. We are all human and we can lose it. We need to analyse it,” he said.

Deyalsingh said more shelters for the abused were needed and warned that one consequence of abuse was depression. He added: “A child could also be depressed and the social system should have shelters and other things in place to deal with this upcoming tsunami of depression.

We are seeing impulse-control rage, road rage and violence and this could be due to a mindset. “Leave, put them in their place or get out of the situation, or it will form into a habit.” Deyalsingh said working women were under pressure and women also suffered from depression.

Patricia Jessop, general manager of CADV, said magistrates and police needed to be trained on the issue of domestic violence. She said: “Members of the protective services need to emphasise to people who are abused and all the services need to be aware.

“Men need to stand up and help other buddies. Abused people are fragile because of control. It has multi-factorial aspects. Confidence is stripped away and you will have no self-will.” Marcus Kissoon, another director of the RCS, said in 2011 there were 278 victims seeking treatment at the centre, 25 per cent of whom were men.

Source: www.guardian.co.tt/news/2012-12-14/rape-crisis-director-magistrates-shun-cases-domestic-violence

Chops and Poison

Chops and poison

By KARL E. CUPID Tobago Bureau Friday, December 14 2012

AUTOPSIES yesterday confirmed that multiple chops and ingestion of a poisonous liquid caused the deaths of Belinda Solomon-Sobers and her lover Daniel Benjamin, respectively.

The autopsies were done at the mortuary of the Scarborough Hospital by pathologist Dr Eastlyn McDonald Burris. Solomon-Sobers, 36, a mother of three was hacked to death at her Coral Gardens, Buccoo home on Tuesday.

Her killer, Benjamin, later died near Solomon-Sobers’ house after ingesting a poisonous liquid substance. Benjamin, 56, of Old Grange, was a wood-worker who operated a wood-working shop at his home located not too far from Solomon-Sobers’ home.

Meanwhile, Solomon-Sobers’ 13-year-old daughter, who was also chopped by Benjamin in the murderous attack was yesterday discharged from the Scarborough Hospital, where she was warded following the incident.

“She is all right; she is just normal…for now,” stated a relative yesterday. According to police reports, Solomon-Sobers who was separated from her husband, and Benjamin, who lived with his wife and family, were involved in a romantic relationship.

Benjamin was a joiner who operated a wood-work furniture shop, while Solomon-Sobers was employed as a maid at a commercial bank in Scarborough. During the course of the relationship, Benjamin reportedly funded and carried out repairs to Solomon-Sobers’ home as well as provided her with household furnishings and other personal items.

Residents in the area said things turned sour when Benjamin realised that Solomon-Sobers was reconciling with her husband.

Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/crime_and_court/0,170633.html

Tobago - Murder / Suicide

MURER/ SUICIDE ROCK TOBAGO

By KARL E CUPID Tobago Bureau Wednesday, December 12 2012

IT WAS A case of murder after the love had died.

A Tobago man, enraged that his lover had brought in another man to live at her home which he (the first man) spent money to refurbish, yesterday chopped the mother of three to death before taking his own life by ingesting a poisonous substance.

The murder/suicide rocked Tobago and was the main topic of discussion yesterday. Police said Belinda Solomon-Sobers, 36, had no chance whatsoever of surviving the vicious chops she received at the hands of her lover Daniel Benjamin, 56. Her 13-year-old daughter who was also chopped, is now warded at the Scarborough Hospital.

The house of death at Orchid Lane in Coral Gardens, Buccoo remained locked tight yesterday even as neighbours and passersby stopped to speak among themselves on what had transpired in the usually quiet, laid back area.

Police said the circumstances surrounding the murder/suicide were bizarre as Benjamin was married and living with his wife and family while Solomon-Sobers was also married and also had a family, yet the two were romantically involved.

Police said Benjamin was a joiner who operated a woodwork and furniture shop at his Old Grange home while Solomon-Sobers, lived about 800 metres away from him. The female victim was employed as a maid at a commercial bank in Scarborough.

Police further reported when Solomon-Sobers fell out with her husband, he left their marital home and Benjamin intensified his relationship with her. Benjamin furnished his lover’s home including all of the wooden furniture which he built himself at his woodwork shop. He also spent money to purchase household items. It was to be his home away from home just as Solomon-Sobers was his lover on the side even though he was married.

For a while things went well with Benjamin and Solomon-Sobers as they continued their relationship. But, police said, the love between Benjamin and Solomon-Sobers soured and then died when the latter told the former that she wanted to reconcile with her husband.

For several days before the murder/suicide, residents told Newsday, Benjamin confronted Solomon-Sobers in heated, physical arguments at her house. So much so, the residents claimed several reports were made to the Old Grange Police Station but officers never responded.

“She take back she husband,” stated a woman who said she was a close friend of Solomon-Sobers but who did not want to be identified.

Police reported things took a turn for the worst when Solomon-Sobers and her husband were seen by Benjamin in her house, the same place which he (Benjamin) spent time and money to “fix-up” for her.

At eight o’clock yesterday morning, police reported, Benjamin went to the house armed with a sharpened cutlass. At the time, Solomon-Sobers was changing her clothes and getting ready for work.

Benjamin forced his way into the house and started to attack Solomon-Sobers chopping her several times. She died on the scene. Benjamin then attacked and chopped the teenaged girl, severing one of her fingers in the process.

He then drank a poisonous substance and left the house. He only got as far as 200 metres from the house of death, collapsing and dying in a garden patch near the Buccoo/Shirvan Road junction. The police were then called in and the areas around the house and Benjamin’s body were cordoned off as police began their investigations. The wounded teen was rushed to hospital where she received emergency treatment.

When Newsday visited the home of Solomon-Sobers’ mother Barbara Solomon-Roberts in Canaan, relatives reported that Barbara, a mother of six, was resting and could not be interviewed. Jane Duncan, a first-cousin of the victim, told Newsday she was very upset over what had happened.

“It’s not supposed to be like that! Everybody have their life to live. You live yours and I live mine. That is not a fowl...you just can’t get up and chop up a person like that! It’s time for people to stop this stupidness,” Duncan cried.

“I am very upset and he is lucky that he chose to end his own life too because he would have gotten what was going to come to him,” the emotional woman said. Solomon-Sobers’ sister Dannielle Solomon, posted a mournful note last night on her Facebook page: “Not even a last goodbye...can’t hear her voice, can’t see her smile; in the blink of an eye...she was gone! Why?”

Investigations are continuing.

Source: http://newsday.co.tt/news/0,170493.html

Violence Still Pressing Issue

 

Rambachan: Violence still pressing issue

Published: Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Melissa Doughty

 

Acting Health Minister Dr Suruj Rambachan said yesterday approximately 2,300 of the world’s children die daily from injury-related complications. He was speaking at the launch of the national stakeholder workshop to develop a strategic planning for injuries, violence prevention and control. The event was held at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre.

Guests included representatives of Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) members of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and Brent Batson, of the National Road Safety Council. He said according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) approximately 1.5 million people die yearly as a consequence of violence.

“Even within the 21st-century, with the development of new technologies and a greater expanse of education to the masses, injury and violence is still a pressing global issue,” he added. Citing injury-related deaths as one of the most challenging global health issues of this century, Rambachan said five million people die from injury-related incidents yearly. He said over the last 15 years, legislation was passed to help prevent violence and injury-related deaths.

The legislation included:
• Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act 2007
• Domestic Violence Act 1999
•Offences against the Person (Amendment) (Harassment) Act 2005
• Occupational Safety and Health Act 2004.

Rambachan also called for greater public awareness of the issue. The workshop also looked at a situation analysis of injury and violence in T&T, unintentional-injury prevention and the global decade of action for road safety 2011-2020 and other issues.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2012-12-05/rambachan-violence-still-pressing-issue