A crime that knows no borders

By Margaret Diop

Story Created: Nov 25, 2013 at 9:03 PM ECT

Story Updated: Nov 26, 2013 at 12:13 AM ECT 

 

We observed International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women yesterday and as we mark the next accompanying 16 days of activism against gender violence, the United States of America reaffirms its commitment to preventing and responding to violence against women and girls globally.

The theme of this year’s observance is “Intimate Partner Violence.”

An estimated one in three women worldwide has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, and intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence experienced by women globally. Gender-based and intimate partner violence cuts across ethnic, racial, socio-economic, and religious lines. It knows no borders. It occurs in Trinidad and Tobago just as it does in the United States and every other nation.

Intimate partner violence includes not only acts of physical aggression but also psychological abuse, forced intercourse and controlling behaviours such as isolating a person from family and friends or restricting access to information and assistance.

This type of violence affects 30 per cent of women worldwide; 35 per cent of women around the world have been raped or physically abused, and, if this violence occurs at home, 80 per cent of the time it is by a partner or spouse.

The 2012/2013 Judiciary Annual Report shows that in the Trinidad and Tobago Magistrates’ Courts 11,382 new domestic violence applications were filed.

These figures should concern all of us.

Whether it occurs in our own neighbourhood, or on distant shores, violence against women and girls damages us all—men and women alike. As Secretary of State John Kerry has stated, “Too many women are being silenced, abused, or subjected to violence simply because of their gender… Their courage must inspire us to continue to work toward a world where every woman can live free of violence and pursue her fullest potential.”

We must recognise that violence against girls and women is, at root, a manifestation of the low status of women and girls around the world. Ending the violence requires elevating the status of women and girls and freeing their potential to be agents of change in their community.

We all need to work together—the international community, governments, multilateral organisations, private sector companies, and grassroots-level advocates to address and prevent violence from occurring.

Together, we need increased advocacy and more interaction between policy makers and those who work in the field. We need to empower girls to speak up for themselves, and educate boys to speak up for their sisters. We must support the inclusion of men, boys, and critical community stakeholders – such as religious leaders – in addressing and preventing violence and changing gender norms and attitudes. We must ultimately overcome the deep-rooted gender inequalities that either tacitly allow or actively promote violent, discriminatory practices.
Addressing violence against women and girls is not just a moral imperative. It is an economic necessity. In addition to the psychological and emotional tolls we pay, we also pay the medical bills and legal costs.

We lose wages and productivity. Businesses lose employees. Families lose primary wage-earners. In short, we simply cannot afford to let gender-based violence continue.
The United States has made significant progress in its efforts to address gender-based violence around the world, through the development of the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security; the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has invested more than $215 million globally in programming to combat gender-based violence over the last three years; the work of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons; and efforts to incorporate gender-based violence programming into humanitarian response activities.

Last December, the US Department of State’s Office of Global Women’s Issues hosted the first-ever Caribbean Dialogue on Rule of Law and Gender-based Violence in Miami. The Dialogue brought together over 80 technical experts and stakeholders from 12 countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, and facilitated critical conversations about strengthening rule of law and the response to gender-based violence. Several participants from that dialogue also joined the Embassy at an Anti-Domestic Violence workshop earlier this year to continue the discussion.
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago is considering several measures to protect the most vulnerable members of society. We trust they will move forward with the anticipated gender policy and take the necessary measures to support the Children’s Authority. Going forward, the U.S. will continue to shine a bright light on the issue of gender-based violence. I know we can achieve real progress in the Caribbean and around the world.

• Margaret Diop is the Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy, Port of Spain. 

 

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/A-crime-that-knows-no-borders-233392361.html

Men: We Can Start a Movement to Stop Violence Against Women

By challenging male conformity, we put the onus of ending abuse against women where it belongs – with men who perpetrate it

Carlos Andrés Gómez
 theguardian.com, Thursday 21 November 2013 08.45 EST

"Be That Guy" is a new campaign by the human rights

 organisation Breakthrough. It encourages men to speak

 up when they see violence against women in any form 

Fellas, I'm tired. Are you tired? Aren't you tired of being that one-dimensional caricature of a man someone told you to be? The kind that is quick to use his fists, feels stuck and afraid but can't show it, the kind destined for prison or anguish or pretending to be anything less than our dreams. I am tired of us hurting each other, ourselves and women.

Because that's what the culture of masculinity that we've inherited has us do. It has us hurting.
Violence against women is the most widespread human rights violation in the world. It transcends age, race, religion, nationality, and class. In the US, every 15 seconds a woman is battered by a partner. And in public schools, 83% of girls ages 12 to 16 experience some form of sexual harassment. That's unconscionable. It might not be you or me doing the hitting or harassing, but guys, we are still responsible.

We are responsible because we belong to the current culture of manhood that allows this – a culture that says we can't show fear, we can't be wrong, and we are entitled to power over others, especially women. But that culture is wrong. And unless we actively work to change it, women will keep getting hurt.

A culture that tells us we're not allowed to be afraid is a culture that denies our own humanity. And if we're not allowed to be human, then we become something else.

And what are we afraid of? We're afraid of our fathers, our brothers, our friends, our potential to be our fullest, best, most authentic selves. We're afraid that we won't do a good job, that someone won't like us, that we'll look weak. We're afraid to say, "I love you", or "I'm sorry", or "I can't", or simply, "Hey, dude, can you please stop catcalling random women on the street?"

Our actions don't have to meet outdated notions of chivalry. We don't need to step in to protect women. We need to step in to check each other – to stop other men.

Like the time when I was 13 and some random guy tried to bond with me on the L train platform in Manhattan, as he ogled a girl passing and then looked at me to join in. I was in middle school, the man was maybe 35 and the person he was ogling was, at most, 15. I just shook my head and said: "Naw, man." The dude looked at me like I'd just set myself on fire. He looked horrified, stunned, and confused.

Or the time recently I was playing basketball with a friend. We were talking junk during a game of one-on-one and he called me a "bitch". I was like, "Whoa, dude. All joking aside, that's a word we need to stop using." He immediately apologized, and the moment became a discussion point for us later that night.

These everyday interruptions are easy and risk little, but they are also influential. They change the culture of how men engage and interact with each other. All we need is the courage to #BeThatGuy. "Be That Guy" is a new campaign by the global human rights organization Breakthrough. "That guy" knows street harassments and nasty comments are part of a dangerous culture and makes saying "no" to those behaviors – and to all violence – normal.

The men who hurt women – they're not who we really are. They're dark shadows of ourselves, the aching parts of us projecting out our pain, harming ourselves and harming women. It's time to let in the light on those shadows, exposing them for the true fears they are. It's time to break the rules of that culture and make a new one.

When I was 23, I got into a confrontation at a nightclub after accidentally bumping into another man. Just as we were about to fight, my eyes inexplicably welled up with tears. Everyone jumped back, as if my conspicuous emotion was the craziest thing they had ever seen, as though my vulnerability was a grenade dropped in the middle of that room. It was then that I realized that my life-and-death stakes performance of being a man was a path leading to my own destruction. It inspired me to write my memoir, Man Up: Reimagining Modern Manhood, and dedicate my life to trying to diffuse the walking time bomb of destructive masculinity. It starts with interrupting and changing the way we bond as men, creating a new culture of brotherhood.

By challenging male conformity we put the onus of ending violence against women where it belongs – with the men who perpetrate it. The solution isn't just to stand up for women, it's to hold men accountable. We can do that one moment at a time – on the sidewalk, in the subway, at the dinner table, at the game, on the bus, at the bar, with ourselves.

So yeah, man. Want to start something?

Let's start a movement – a movement of men who aren't afraid to stop violence against women.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/21/be-that-guy-movement-end-violence-against-women

 

Husband tried to hang me with bedsheet

Teen alleges:

By Susan Mohammed susan.mohammed@trinidadexpress.com

Story Created: Nov 25, 2013 at 9:36 PM ECT

Story Updated: Nov 26, 2013 at 12:20 AM ECT 

 

A 25-year-old Barrackpore man who allegedly battered his teenage wife, then attempted to hang her with a bedsheet, appeared in court yesterday charged with attempted murder.

Darren Mohammed, a painter and labourer, of New Colonial Road, appeared before Senior Magistrate Debra Quintyne in the Princes Town First Magistrates’ Court.

The charge, laid by Constable Tambie of Barrackpore Police Station, alleges that on November 21 Mohammed beat Amanda Mootilal, 18, and threatened to kill her, said police prosecutor Sergeant Krishna Bedassie.
Bedassie told the court that the alleged incident occurred at the couple’s home, where he allegedly cuffed and slapped Mootilal.

Mohammed is alleged to have tied a bedsheet around her neck and attempted to hang the teenager.
Mohammed’s attorney, Ravi Bunsee, applied for bail on the grounds that his client had no previous convictions.

However, the prosecutor objected to the application because of the violent nature of the offence and for fear that the victim would be interfered with.

Quintyne upheld the objection and denied bail.

Mohammed was remanded into custody until December 10.

Attorney Petronilla Basdeo also informed the magistrate that she is seeking a fiat to prosecute the case against Mohammed.

Basdeo also appeared on the teenager’s behalf in an application for a protection order against Mohammed.

The application was heard before Magistrate Avason Quinlan in the Second Court.

An interim order was granted and the case was adjourned to December 2.

Basdeo has also arranged for Mootilal, the mother of a two-year-old, to meet with a counsellor.
Meanwhile, the National Self Help Commission has confirmed receiving an application for assistance for Mootilal.

The Commission’s chief executive officer Reynold Baldeosingh said Mootilal has been invited to apply to the Commission for a grant and, once she qualifies, she will be assisted in building a home. 

 

Source:http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Husband-tried-to-hang-me-with-bedsheet-233395261.html

‘Why such hate against women?’

By RACHAEL ESPINET Tuesday, November 26 2013

AMID the background of sobering statistics including 11,382 domestic violence cases being filed in the courts between 2012 and this year, member of the Coalition Against Domestic Violence Diana Mahabir Wyatt, yesterday asked one simple question: “why do we hate women?”

Speaking at the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development’s breakfast seminar at Capital Plaza in Port-of-Spain, held to commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Mahabir-Wyatt asked, “Why is it that we (women) are so hated? Why is it that we are beaten, we are put down, we are condescended to, we are made to feel that we are inferior in society. Why?”

She said since the 1960s she has become very aware of the “gruesome” nature of domestic violence but questioned how much the country has really done to eliminate this abuse.

“We keep noticing more and more examples of violence against women and I kept going to meetings like this where people talked about how terrible things are, but nobody is doing anything about it,” she said.

Every year since 1999, November 25 has been used to commemorate the day. This year’s theme for International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is, “Intimate Partner Violence.”

Yesterday also saw the start of the United Nation’s (UN) 16 Days of Activism, where Non Governmental Organisations, Community-based Organisations, Government bodies and any person can advocate for the elimination of gender-based violence. The 16 Days of Activism ends on December 10 — Human Rights Day.

Some facts revealed at yesterday’s meeting included that for the period of January to August 2013, there were six domestic violence related murders, 266 sexual offences involving females and 116 people charged for sexual offences against females, according to statistics from the Crime and Problem Analysis Unit (CAP) of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.

According to the Police Service Serious Crime Statistics, from January to September 2013, there have been 371 reported cases of rape, incest and sexual offences. The annual report of the Judiciary of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago reveals that for the 2012/2013 law term, 11,382 domestic violence applications were filed.

Clifton De Coteau, Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development said that society has become so conditioned to violence that some do not acknowledge when violent acts happen to them.

“Being so conditioned by society, they do not see domestic and gender-based violence as a crime in the same way that they see the assault of one man by another or damage to property as a crime. It is accepted in many circles that such abuse is an inevitable part of the burden women have to bear,” he said.

De Coteau said the Ministry will build safe houses for women as well as provide programmes like the Defining Masculine Excellence Programme which allows men to learn about their relationships and inner feelings rather than using violence.

Source: http://newsday.co.tt/news/0,187038.html

Prime Minister: Stop Violence Against Women

PM: Stop violence against women

By Clint Chan Tack Monday, November 25 2013

PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday said Government is reviewing the Domestic Violence Act as it seeks to send a message that “whether it unfolds internationally or locally, violence against women is unconscionable and must be stopped.”

“As a parliamentarian and as a woman, I call on my fellow world leaders and on all persons of influence locally and internationally, to take action to end all forms of violence against women and girls, the Prime Minister declared in her message to mark the International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women which is commemorated worldwide today.

Her view was supported by Gender, Youth and Child Development Minister Clifton De Couteau who disclosed he will have more to say today on matters raised by Persad-Bissessar at the opening of a seminar at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port-of-Spain.

In her message, Persad-Bissessar said this country “stands resolutely with the international community, to declare that violence against women and girls is a human rights violation and must not be tolerated.”

Observing that international statistics are alarming and estimate that “one in three women will be subject to violence in her lifetime” and one in three girls will be married as a child bride before the age of 18, the Prime Minister said, “Trafficking continues to ensnare millions of girls in modern-day slavery. Rape has become a tactic in warfare.”

In this country, Persad-Bissessar said records of the Police Service’s Crime and Problem Analysis Branch revealed that last year, there were 2,517 reported female victims of violent crimes in TT. Noting these crimes included murder, sexual offences , woundings and shootings,

Persad-Bissessar expressed concern that “many women who remain silent, afraid of the consequences of revealing the truth or believing that they themselves are the cause of the violence.”

Pledging that Government will continuously review and revise our legislation pertaining to the protection of women and girls; violence against women and girls and the rights of women and girls, the Prime Minister said, “Currently, our Domestic Violence Act is receiving the attention of Government, as we seek to ensure that every woman and girl within our nation, enjoys her fundamental human right to live free from violence.”

Noting this country has “an admirable track record and an enviable reputation internationally” regarding the promotion of the rights of women and girls, Persad-Bissessar stated, “We must not allow senseless violence, targeting our women, to tarnish this reputation.”

She challenged all citizens to not only protect and improve the lives of the women and girls with whom they are in contact “but also to engage our boys and men as partners in gender equality and respectful relationships.”

De Couteau agreed with Persad-Bissessar.

“These are legislative issues which have to put in place,” he said. Expressing concern that society adopts a “so what” attitude when cases of violence against women are reported, De Couteau said more must be done to get the victims to come forward while giving them the protection they require. He also said he was disturbed by attorney Lynette Seebaran-Suite’s disclosure at a panel discussion on Saturday about 10,000 applications by women in this country for protection orders.

In his message, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said, “Violence against women and girls directly affects individuals while harming our common humanity.” Ban said he launched the “UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign” in 2008, in response to this global challenge.

Identifying the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women as one way to support the elimination of violence against women worldwide, Ban said, “While the demand for its grants has more than doubled in recent years, the amount it has been able to distribute has diminished by 60 percent.”

“I appeal to all partners to help meet this vast unmet demand for resources to further advance efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls,” he added.

The objective of this fund is to help “respond to human rights violations and needs from physical safety to economic security.”

Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,186969.html

Study: Doctors undertrained on diagnosing domestic violence injuries

by KMOV.com Staff

KMOV.com

Posted on November 12, 2013 at 6:40 PM

Updated Tuesday, Nov 12 at 6:40 PM

 

(KMOV.com) -- New research reveals that some doctors often miss domestic violence as the cause of injuries they treat.

Researchers at the University of Missouri found that fewer than 25 percent of orthopedic surgeons in the US had domestic violence training.

An international survey found that up to 40 percent of orthopedic trauma clinic patients are victims of domestic violence.

Advocates for battered women say many types of doctors should have the training.

 “Women that have been the victims of domestic violence and survivors usually suffer from arthritis, migraines and even gastro intestinal disturbances,” said Sylvia Jackson with The Women’s Safe House. “So to me that’s three different doctors there that should be screening for domestic violence.”
Officials with The Women’s Safe House say local hospitals do a good job of screening for domestic violence.

Source:http://www.kmov.com/news/editors-pick/Study-Doctors-not-trained-on-diagnosing-domestic-violence-injuries-231657311.html

Former Independent Senator Mahabir-Wyatt: Act Against Domestic Violence Not Working

Former Independent senator Mahabir-Wyatt: Act against domestic violence not working

Published: Friday, November 8, 2013

Reshma Ragoonath

A cross-section of students from Holy Faith Convent, Couva, ASJA

Girls’ College, Charlieville, and Saraswatie Hindu College at the

Parliamentary Outreach Programme at the Rudranath Capildeo Learning

Resource Centre, Couva, on Thursday.

Former independent senator Diana Mahabir-Wyatt says women must now stand up for each other as the Domestic Violence Act was not working. She said so yesterday as she addressed students of ASJA Girls’ College, Saraswati Girls Hindu College and Holy Faith Convent during a Parliament outreach programme with Speaker of the House of Representatives Wade Mark at the Rudranath Capildeo Learning Resource Centre, Couva.

Mahabir-Wyatt, head of the T&T Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Rape Crisis Centre, said that even though there was legislation to protect them, women were still abused and “that is not going to stop.” In fact, she said, violence against women was increasing and the Domestic Violence Act was not working because abusers were finding ways around the provisions of the act and protection orders.

“You cannot put a police officer in everybody’s house because domestic violence by and large takes place in the house,” she said. Mahabir-Wyatt, who was responding to question from a student, said citizens needed to recognise that the environment was changing and it was becoming “more and more violent societally, sociologically and physically.” She said women needed to be more vocal and stand up for their rights.

“One of the things that we have to do as women, and I say this to every single one of you here, is not to sit back and wait for government to pass laws to protect you. We have to organise ourselves and each other and we have to help each other,” she added. Mahabir-Wyatt told the students to help fellow women when they asked for help because someday they may find themselves in a position where they also would need help.

She said women could help and support each other, start organisations in their communities and help in the battle to end domestic violence. “We have to be strong enough and brave enough and honest enough to organise and help each other in order to protect our children, to protect our family,” she said. She said men also were subjected to abuse, since “women are not angels,” and could be “just as vicious with their tongues as men can be with their fists.”

Ramona Ramdial, Couva South MP and junior Minister of the Environment and Water Resources, suggested there was a lack of reporting of abuse. “I urge young women, do not be afraid to speak out, to help a friend or family member,” she said. The minister made a faux pas when she called on the students also to report abuse to the Children’s Authority hotline. Mahabir-Wyatt reminded her the Children’s Authority was still not ready for operation as it was in the process of recruiting staff.

Mark said education played a critical role in gender equality. He suggested that male and female citizens from the kindergarten level to tertiary level must be educated and have an appreciation for women’s rights.

Source:  http://guardian.co.tt/news/2013-11-08/former-independent-senator-mahabir-wyatt-act-against-domestic-violence-not-working

Examining Views on Domestic Violence CHRIS BROWN — FORGIVE AND FORGET?

Examining views on domestic violence

CHRIS BROWN — FORGIVE AND FORGET?

Published: Monday, October 29, 2012

Bobie-lee Dixon

 Left: Singer Rihanna who was beaten by Chris Brown when they were in a

 relationship says she has forgiven Brown. Right: Guyanese women’s rights

groups have been protesting against the upcoming visit of Chris Brown.

It seems no matter how hard Chris Brown tries to move on in life, his past continues to haunt him. The 23-year-old singer whose latest album, Fortune has sold 303,600 copies worldwide, is making headlines again. But this time, not for any run-ins with the law.

 

Because of Brown’s felony assault charges and conviction in the beating of singer and then girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, his visit to Guyana is being vehemently criticised by women rights groups in the country where he is expected to perform in December.

 

The singer/songwriter is billed to perform on Boxing night in the state’s capital, Georgetown and the Guyanese government has also come under fire as it is alleged they are partly responsible for financing the convicted domestic abuser's visit. According to reports, the Government, in a bid to promote tourism is spending a great deal of money on the singer whose criminal record forbids him to perform in countries like the UK.

 

The protesting groups have voiced their opinions on blogs, saying that allowing Brown to perform in the country sends the wrong message especially as the government does not finance existing programmes in the country geared towards fighting domestic violence and providing rehabilitation for ex-domestic abusers. 

 

Others recognise his ‘right’ to perform in Guyana but question the use of taxpayer’s dollars to support his performance and some activists have said his visit makes a mockery of an upcoming 16-day Activism Against Gender-based Violence campaign, especially since the concert coincides with the occasion.

 

However, fans who use the social networking site Twitter have taken to Brown’s fan page pledging their support to the singer, saying he deserves a second chance and he has already paid for his mistake. Brown was sentenced by a Los Angeles judge to probation of five years and community labour for six months for assaulting Rihanna. He was also ordered to stay away from his former for the next five years from the incident’s date. But Rihanna has since forgiven Brown and even confessed to TV show host Oprah Winfrey in a recent interview that he is the love of her life. 

 

The Barbadian songstress said she found the capacity to forgive Brown for the attack through finding the means to forgive her own father for the abuse he subjected her mother to. The two have even collaborated on a few songs including the popular Cake.

Recent reports that the couple are reuniting has prompted mixed reactions among fans of both celebrities.

 

There have been unconfirmed reports that Brown is also carded to visit Trinidad and Tobago before the year’s end. Are people in this country as concerned as those in Guyana about allowing him to perform here given his domestic violence conviction, or are they ready to forgive and forget?  The T&T Guardian took to the streets of Port-of Spain to get a view from the some younger members of the public. Stephen Andrews, Kristoff Alexander and Shakima Joseph all 20, and 16-year-old Celine Weeks were interviewed 

Three of them said that Brown has done his time for the crime he committed and has proven he has changed. They believe he deserves a second chance. However, Alexander who is not a Brown fan said because of the incident, Brown should not be celebrated in anyway. 

 

We also spoke with Gregory Sloane-Seale, former child rights activist with the Coalition Against Domestic Violence and co-ordinator of the Citizen Security Programme within the Ministry of National Security, as well as criminologist Renee Cummings. Sloane-Seale said it was not just about giving Brown a second chance. According to him, it is about watching what has transpired since the incident to date. He said from what he has read about Brown since the Rihanna incident, the performer seems to have shown remorse, attended the anger management sessions ordered by the court and continues to do his community service.  

 

“He is a young person, his presence can be a voice for hope and change among young people especially young men. You cannot condemn a person for life especially a young person for his infraction,” Sloane-Seale said. He added that it would have been wise for the Guyanese groups who are protesting to correspond with Brown’s management before his visit and organise for him speak about his experience and transformation during his visit to the country. “It is always sad for me when we throw the baby out with the bath water. No one is praising what he did but his actions were  already condemned, it was a moment that’s gone. We have to see how he goes on from here, support him and give him a chance to prove his change.”

 

Renee Cummings shared Sloane-Seale’s views. She said in domestic violence not all perpetrators have to continue being violent. She said the incident between Brown and Rihanna occurred at a time when they were very young, famous, rich and living on their own without guidance. For him to be continually labeled an abuser is wrong Cummings reasoned, as it only occurred once and he has since cleaned up his act. She said he has a criminal record because he was charged but the public has got to give him a chance to prove himself.

 

"In any relationship tempers flare — be it teenagers or adults and often we act out on the spur of the moment, realising after it could have been handled differently,” said Cummings."Yes he has a criminal record but does that mean the minute he lands in Guyana or Trinidad he is going to beat a woman," she rhetorically asked. Cummings said if they can organise to have him speak to young men about his experience and how it stigmatizes, that would be a bonus seeing that some of the activists' arguments are that the Government does not provide funding to sustain the domestic violence programmes needed to rehabilitate domestic abusers. "But to label the man an abuser out of the context of one incident which has not been repeated is definitely not the right or fair thing to do."

 

Local soca artistes also shared their views. Swappi said everybody has their own opinions about Brown but at the end of the day, apart from being an entertainer he is a human being. He said Brown has already been forgiven by the industry and has done his time.

His female counterpart Nadia Batson also felt people needed to get over what happened and allow Brown to grow positively. While she does not condone what happened, she feels Brown should not continue to be chastised for something he already paid for. 

"Because of what happened he is viewed as a woman beater, but this is not true. People make mistakes—no one is perfect. I just feel their are many other facets of Chris's life that can be focused on. People in this world are just too judgmental." she said.

 

Young singing sensation Erphaan Alves said Brown’s mistake will haunt him forever and that is just a fact he is going to have to learn to live with it. He said the only reason the issue keeps coming up is because of his role as an entertainer. "Everybody makes mistakes be it a president, mother, father or a plumber. When you are in the public’s eye it's just more difficult for you," said Alves. He continued: "He's is not the first artiste to have a criminal record and certainly won’t the first artiste to visit Trinidad with a record of any kind. Maybe the Guyanese government should have organized things better knowing the issues surrounding domestic violence in the country, but at the end of the day people cannot keep hating on Chris."

 

Megan Walrond, vocalist with the all-female band Sass said she understood the anguish of the women's rights groups in Guyana and that it is important for the Government to get financially involved in the rehabilitation of the perpetrators of domestic violence. But she also feels the people cannot make it a personal attack on Brown as he already served time for his actions. She said the word of God says we ought to forgive and that is what people need to do and move on because both Brown and Rihanna already have.

 

Trinidad and Tobago’s Immigration laws on people with convictions entering this country

 

According to Keith Sampson Deputy Chief Immigration Officer people with criminal records who attempt to enter Trinidad and Tobago may be refused entry under the provisions of sections 8(1)d or 8(1)q of Chapter 18:01— The Immigration Act of the Laws of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. He said under both sections, the first (8(1)d) states that entry is prohibited to people who have been convicted of or admit having committed any crime, which if committed in Trinidad and Tobago would be punishable with imprisonment for one or more years. The latter (8(1)q) states any person who from information or advice which in the opinion of the Minister is reliable information or advice is likely to be an undesirable inhabitant of, or visitor to Trinidad and Tobago. 

 

Source:http://guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2012-10-28/examining-views-domestic-violence

 

Face Domestic Violence Facts

Published: Monday, October 28, 2013

 

 Speaking at a gender seminar on Wednesday, Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development Clifton De Coteau cited troubling statistics related to gender based violence in T&T. His lead figure was the prevalence of homicides resulting from incidents of domestic violence, which run second only to gang killings in the national tally of murder. In 2010, according to the Gender Minister, there were 940 reports of domestic violence 68.2 per cent of which were identified as assault by beating.

The incidence of rape, incest, grievous sexual assault and sex with minor females totalled 673, the majority being reports of rape and sex with underage girls. Gender-based violence, Mr De Coteau warned, “cuts across all cultures, races, religions and socio-economic levels with the majority of cases involving women and girls but which also affects men and boys.” The Gender Minister further noted that the data he was referencing didn’t describe the full extent of gender based violence and the prevalence of threats of such violence.

The information he shared provides a clear signal that the issues surrounding domestic and gender-based violence are both serious and pervasive enough to merit a national effort at mobilising solutions and building increased awareness.

Source: http://guardian.co.tt/editorial/2013-10-28/face-domestic-violence-facts

Gender-based violence figures alarming, says De Coteau

By Michelle Loubon

Story Created: Oct 23, 2013 at 11:21 PM ECT

Story Updated: Oct 24, 2013 at 11:49 AM ECT 

 

INTERVENTIONS NEEDED: Clifton De Coteau

Clifton de Coteau, Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development, says he was “alarmed” by statistics which revealed homicides, including a majority caused by gender-based violence, were second to gang-related murders

.
He also said interventions, including adequate data collection, non-acceptance on the path of females and legislation, will work towards eradicating violence.

De Coteau made these comments at the restaurant, National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) building, Keate Street, Port of Spain, yesterday during a seminar on Gender-based Violence hosted by the Gender Ministry, in collaboration with the Embassy of Chile and the United Nations. Gender-based violence was deemed any violence that is perpetuated against a person and has a negative effect, includng physical, social or cultural.

The evil scourge manifests itself in rape, domestic violence, trafficking of women and girls, prostitution, harassment, forced marriage, female genital mutilation and sexual assault of children.

Among those present were Raziah Ahmed, Minister in the Minstry of Gender, Youth and Child Development; Chilean Ambassador Fernando Ayala; United Nations Co-ordinator/T&T Richard Blewitt; Dr Yitades Gebre, PAHO/WHO representative; legal consultant on Gender Gaietry Pargass and Angeli Gajadhar, Hindu Women’s Organisation representative.
 

In his first assignment since his illness, De Coteau cited statistics from Crime and Problem Analysis. He said: “The homicide statistics are second only to gang murders. In 2010, there were 940 reports of domestic violence and 68.2 per cent for assault by beating. The high incidence of gang rape is indeed horrifying.
“There are 250 reports of rape, 32 reports of incest and 150 reports of grevious damage, 278 reports of sexual assault and sex with minors (females from 14 to 16).”
 

He added: “From January to August 2013, there were 266 reported cases of sexual offences against females and with one more (at Macqueripe) 267, 116 were charged with Seuxal Offences. We heard (Ayala, Blewitt) about ‘one in three women’ being a victim of violence.”

While these stats made it into the public domain, De Coteau and other speakers said “It is the tip of the iceberg since many cases go unreported for fear of being ‘re-victimised’.” 

 

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Gender-based-violence-figures-alarming-says-De-Coteau-229033541.html

CJ praises Association of Women Judges

Story Created: Oct 23, 2013 at 11:22 PM ECT

Story Updated: Oct 24, 2013 at 11:49 AM ECT 

 

Chief Justice Ivor Archie says the newly-formed Trinidad and Tobago Association of Women Judges (TTAWJ) must be commended for advancing women’s issues including domestic violence and human trafficking. Having formed the local leg, it was working diligently towards establishing a Caribbean Association of Women Judges to ensure the rights of women and children were adhered to and equality for all citizens before the law by March 2014. Archie made these comments while delivering remarks at TTAWJ’s launch at Convocation Hall, Hall of Justice, Port of Spain, yesterday.
Among those present were President Anthony Carmona, Justice Charmaine Pemberton, Magistrate Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds, Justice Carla Brown-Antoine, Kerri-Ann Oliverie, Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court and Justice Allyson Ramkerrysingh. They were joined by Justice Maureen Rajnauth-Lee who spoke on “The TTAWJ-The Genesis” and Justice Joan Charles who spoke on “The Judge and Public Service.” Sharing in the TTAWJ’s milestone were Suriname’s Justice Carlotta Korona, Dominica’s Chief Magistrate Evelyn Baptiste and Sir Dennis Byron, President of the Caribbean Court of Justice.
Archie said: “Three countries are in the top in the Caribbean for reported issues for rape. One in three women in the Caribbean will experience domestic violence. We need men and women who are committed to making a social difference with issues. TTAWJ’s mandate is totally in sync with initiatives like gender, ethnicity, child abuse and trafficking. Issues that concern women and children have been brought forward. It is up to judges to play an important part in national development.”
Archie added: “Investing in women is “smart economics. The rule of law contributes to a being a fundamental pillar upon which female judges can play a critical function. “
Zeroing on the issue of “sextortion”, Rajnauth-Lee said: “In Zambia and Malawi there was a lot of violence against women and girls. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Philippines and Tanzania were raising awareness on sextortion (a form of exploitation and corruption which occurs when people in positions of authority, namely public officials whether educators, judges, government officials or law enforcement personnel seek to extort sexual favours in exchange for something within their power to grant or withhold. TTAWJ was concerned with issues of rape, incest, domestic violence and sex trafficking.”
Charles lauded Carmona for pioneering the Bayley Boys’ Project to help young offenders. She said TTAWJ was bent on providing public service and “arresting the demise of the dispossessed, abused, neglected and disheartened in the communities”.
She said: “Magistrates and family court judges see firsthand the damaging and deleterious effects of breakdown in the family and home. TTAWJ’s challenge is to enter the domain and effect change to our social environment such as our offices will allow.” Meanwhile, as TTAWJ moves towards the Caribbean Association of Women Judges (CAWJ), a steering committee was set up in Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.
—Michelle Loubon 

 

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/CJ-praises-Association-of-Women-Judges-229033581.html

BRIEF LIFE OF ABUSE

BRIEF LIFE OF ABUSE

By CECILY ASSON Wednesday, October 16 2013

A 34-YEAR-OLD heavy equipment operator yesterday confessed to police that he killed two-month-old Andre Mowlah at his (the baby) home in Erin Road, Cap-de-Ville on Sunday morning.

The man not only confessed to the murder but detailed to police how Andre suffered two months of torture at his hands. The man told shocked officers on four different occasions he had thrown the baby on the ground with the last time being the one which ended baby Andre’s brief yet tortured life.

On Sunday at about 8 am, the baby’s mother Diana Ramsaroop was involved in a heated argument with the man when in a fit of rage, he grabbed baby Andre from inside a crib where he was asleep, raised him high overhead and dashed the child to the floor.

A tearful Ramsaroop would later tell Newsday her baby son did not even cry out from the blow which shattered the back of his tiny skull and caused fatal injuries to his brain. The baby was rushed to the Point Fortin District Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

On noticing the injuries, doctors immediately alerted the police. The man, according to reports, at first claimed baby Andre slipped from his grasp as he (the suspect) held him. He later claimed that while holding the baby, his (the suspect) foot went through a rotted flooring board and he let go of the child who fell and hit his head on the floor.

However an autopsy report stated that the extensive cranial damage could not have been caused by a mere fall but was caused by a willful act of forcefully slamming baby Andre to the floor.

Police sources told Newsday yesterday at the Point Fortin Police Station, in an interview room, the man gave investigators an oral confession saying he was provoked into murdering the two-month-old after being accused of stealing tools from a house which is under repairs.

The man was told this was not the first time that baby Andre was thrown to the ground. Police sources told Newsday the man told investigators that earlier this month, during a heated argument with Ramsaroop, he stopped a truck which he was driving and took baby Andre and threw the child into some bushes at the side of the road. The man admitted to police that he often took out his rage on baby Andre. He then outlined two other occasions when in a rage, he had thrown baby Andre to the ground, as if he was a rag doll.

Speaking to Newsday yesterday, Andre’s grieving mother disclosed that after the man threw her son into the bushes, she told him she would report him to police. Both Ramsaroop (holding baby Andre) and the man went to the Cap-de-Ville Police Post where she sought an officer’s assistance.

“A policeman told me there was no one who could help me and that I had to go to the Point Fortin Police Station because there was an officer at that station who dealt with domestic violence issues and that person was there right now,” Ramsaroop told Newsday.

Ramsaroop said she and the man later met a relative in Point Fortin who warned the man that he could go to jail if he continued to abuse baby Andre. “Right there and then he promised he would never do it again so I did not bother to go to the Point Fortin Police Station.

“Looking back on that incident now, perhaps if that officer at Cap-de-Ville Police Post had taken my plea for help seriously, my son would be alive today. Who knows,” Ramsaroop said.

Told about the officer’s conduct in dealing with Ramsaroop at the Cap-de-Ville Police Post, a senior officer in South Western Division knocked the officer at the station for turning away Ramsaroop.

“That officer was wrong to send her away in the company of a man who had not only thrown a baby to the ground but also confessed to committing the very act. That man should have been charged one time. That baby might be alive today if that officer acted differently...acted in the manner he was supposed to,” the senior officer said as he promised an investigation.

Ramsaroop yesterday said she has not slept since her son’s murder.

“Only God knows why Andre came into this world for such a short time and why he had to suffer so badly in his two months of life,” she cried. Ramsaroop said whenever she closes her eyes to sleep she gets nightmares, as the memory of her son being dashed to the ground keeps replaying in her mind. “I am haunted by visions of my son’s death. He was killed before my eyes. I can’t sleep. I haven’t slept since Sunday,” she said.

Yesterday social workers from the National Family Services Unit of the Gender, Youth and Child Development Ministry visited and counselled Ramsaroop, who gave birth to Andre, 18 years after the birth of her first child, from another relationship.

“I was a teenager when I had my first child. Back then not everything was in place. But this time around, I was better prepared when I had Andre. Everything was in place. Baby Andre had everything.”

Investigators are expected to record further statements from witnesses following which the file will be sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for directions on how to proceed in terms of charges. Baby Andre will be laid to rest today at the Cap-de-Ville Public Cemetery following a funeral service at 2 pm. Sgt Solomon is continuing investigations.

Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,185101.html

TWO-Month-Old Baby was Killed

Baby’s skull was fractured

Male relative, 34, detained in child’s death

By Susan Mohammed susan.mohammed@trinidadexpress.com

Story Created: Oct 14, 2013 at 11:20 PM ECT

Story Updated: Oct 15, 2013 at 6:12 PM ECT 

 

A TWO-month-old baby was killed on Sunday after he was thrown on the ground by a close male relative in a fit of rage. 

Baby Andre Feroze Mowlah, of Erin Road, Cap-de-Ville, died of blunt force trauma after he suffered multiple fractures to the skull, and a severe contusion to the brain, an autopsy found yesterday. 

Pathologist Dr Valerie Alexandrov told the Express: “The baby had no chance of survival. Babies of this age do not usually suffer such severe trauma. In this particular situation the baby’s left side of his skull was crushed. He was thrown with a great amount of force. He also sustained a cracked rib.” 

A 34-year-old truck driver was detained by police for questioning.  

The incident was witnessed by the baby’s mother, Diana Ramsaroop, 35, who said it was not the first time the child was “slammed to the ground”. 

Ramsaroop, a security guard, said: “He (the close male relative) throw down the child on the ground before. He used to say he sorry. But you cannot be sorry and do it more than once.”  

The mother said: “He (the male relative) is a nice person, but when he get vex he does trip. Another time he was vex and he threw a heater (iron) on the ground and mash it up. 

“Before the baby was born he used to walk away when he was vex. So I don’t know why he didn’t do that.”

Ramsaroop, who also has an 18-year-old daughter, said the incident occurred shortly after 8 a.m. She said that she was outside the house, which is under renovation, putting away tools. Baby Andre was asleep in a crib inside. 

She said an argument broke out between her and the male relative. 

“I was telling him about the tools, that some were missing. He got hyper. He said he was going out. He picked up the child and I don’t know where he went. He came back about ten minutes later. He started to quarrel again and then threw down the baby on the floor. The baby was asleep. He did not even cry,” said Ramsaroop. 

The mother said the male relative picked up the child and placed him on a bed. She said she tried to get closer to the child but the relative blocked her path. 

“He said he going to kill me. I said ‘go ahead’ and he pushed me. He picked up the baby and he realised that the baby was gasping for air,” she said. 

Ramsaroop said the male relative called her sister, Jaime Ramsaroop, who came to the house in her car.

The mother said by that time the child’s head had swollen, but there was no visible bleeding. 

Ramsaroop said her sister cried and begged the man to take the child for medical treatment, and eventually he agreed. The three took the child to the Point Fortin Area Hospital. 

The mother said doctors and nurses questioned the male relative about the child’s injury. “He told them that the baby slipped from his hand and fell, and a piece of wood fell on him. I didn’t say anything”, she said. 

The mother said around 9 a.m. doctors told her that the baby had died. 

Police officers of the Point Fortin CID and Homicide Division (South) took the mother, aunt and male relative to the Point Fortin Police Station where they were questioned. 

The male relative remained in police custody while the mother and aunt were allowed to leave the police station. 

Acting Sergeant Solomon is investigating. 

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Babys-skull--was-fractured--227760021.html

‘Why don’t you just leave?’: A domestic violence survivor responds

By Billie-Jean Niedorowski, Special to the BDN

Posted Oct. 03, 2013, at 1:01 p.m.

George Danby | BDN

 

As an advocate for domestic violence, one of my biggest pet peeves is when people say, “Why don’t they just leave?” The more thoughtful questioner doesn’t blame the victim and tries to truly understand. They ask: What are the reasons that make it difficult to leave?

I am not just an advocate but a survivor of domestic violence. My ex-husband could have written the book on abuse. Prior to meeting him, I was a strong person. I made my own choices and was fearless.

However, shortly after he moved in, my whole being, my whole life, changed. We were together for three years before I eventually left. What’s important to know is that in those three years I tried to leave one time — before I actually left.

One time was all it took to teach me that my life was on the line if I left him.

The night started out as usual. He began drinking and started becoming filled with rage. He accused me of cheating on him. It was really more like interrogation. He repeated the same questions over and over.

I gave the same answer that I had not cheated on him. And with each admission that I had done no wrong came violence. His hands were strong. He would grab my hands and squeeze them until I felt like he broke my fingers.

He would ask again; I would deny; and then he grabbed my hair. Twisted it around his hand and pulled me to the floor and put his knee in the middle of my back.

He asked again if I had cheated, and I said no again. He pulled me to the bed by my hair and lifted me onto the bed. He asked me again the same questions, and again I denied what he said.

This time he had a knife, which I didn’t realize he had hidden in his arm sleeve, and he traced my face with the blade. Full of fear and full of tears, I assured him I would tell him the truth if he would just let me go to the bathroom and wash my face. I told him I just wanted to be calm.

For all the screaming and crying, all I knew was I needed to leave, or he would eventually kill me. Surprisingly, he let me get up to go to the bathroom. As I was heading to the bathroom, I ran. I ran for the door. But he was right behind me with his knife and sliced my hand open and stabbed me in my forearm. Blood was everywhere.

Even though I had never cheated on him, I told him I did, so he would stop. I couldn’t go to the hospital. I couldn’t call the police. I couldn’t do anything. Except tell him what he wanted to hear.

What he told me then I will never forget to this day: “This is your fault. If you had just told me the truth to begin with, this wouldn’t have happened. If you lie to me again, if you try to leave again when I’m talking to you, I will kill you.”

Although this was the first time I tried to leave, it was not the last time he abused me. His abuse was physical, emotional, sexual and financial. He even put a knife to my mother and told her, “She will never leave me.” He put a fear in me that I have never known in my entire life. His message was clear, and he acted upon it to prove that he would end my life if I left him.

Eventually I did leave. In October 2008, while he was in prison, his sister encouraged me to “leave now because this is your only chance.” It was the first choice I made for myself in three years.

Leaving was not easy. Every day for about two years I waited for him to come. I was in constant fear that he would kidnap my children to lure me back. I was always looking over my shoulder and convinced he would kill me. It is now five years later, and I don’t feel unsafe any more.

My hope for people reading this is to think the next time they wonder why someone doesn’t leave. It’s not simple. Leaving doesn’t end the fear or stop abusers. The reality is people who live within the walls of abuse do stay. And while it doesn’t make sense to a lot of people, it makes sense to me.

Billie-Jean Niedorowski is an advocate at Spruce Run-Womancare Alliance in Bangor. This is the first in a series of OpEds about domestic violence that will appear during October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2013/10/03/opinion/contributors/why-dont-you-just-leave-a-domestic-violence-survivor-responds/