News
Better Support to Domestic Violence behind increase in Reports to TCI Gender Affairs
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, November 1, 2023 – Domestic violence has been described as “persistent” in the Turks and Caicos Islands now the Department of Gender Affairs is assuring residents that they have the procedures in place to take care of victims making reports.
Carolyn Dickenson, Director, spoke to Magnetic Media regarding the process.
“Every case is different. However, several initiatives drive our response strategy, which are as follows,”
• An applicant makes a report of a domestic violence incident;
• The Office of Gender Affairs conducts assessments based on the reports;
• The Gender Officer prepares all the necessary documentation to secure a protection order;
• The officer confirms an emergency court date;
• Interim protection orders only last for 30 days within which a hearing must be held;
• A referral pathway is activated the referral pathway where the Safeguarding and Public Protection Unit (SPPU) is
• Referral to Social Services is next, especially if children are involved, as this provides therapeutic interventions to survivors of domestic violence and intimate partner violence;
• After a hearing, a permanent protection order can be issued.
As for what these protection orders do, Dickenson said, “The protection order prohibits the respondent from entering or residing near the Applicant’s home under the terms of the order. It also includes the Applicant’s location of employment or education. It also prevents the Offender from physically attacking or harassing the Applicant via phone or mail. The Ordinance also forbids the Offender from directing others to conduct acts of domestic violence against the Applicant on their behalf, and it can bar the Perpetrator from dealing with property in which the Applicant may have an interest.”
The system provides mental and legal support for victims removing them from the vicinity of their abuser and mandating a quick justice process.
It was the onset of Covid-19 and the alarming spikes in domestic violence worldwide that caused the Department to reassess its response program which Dickenson said had been fractured before.
Now with their updated process, better legislation and more awareness many more reports are being fielded. Nearly three times more victims have spoken up in 2023 than in 2022.
“Our response is swift yet focused on the importance of the rights of survivors. Their safety, recovery, and respect are priorities in our approach to treating their ordeal. We are also very firm in our commitment to holding the perpetrators of the heinous crime accountable for their actions,” the Director promised.
For October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Department had collaborated with the Safeguarding and Public Protection Unit, (SPPU), Judiciary, Social Service, and Health, to host several community outreach initiatives to sensitize Communities throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands on the services available to curb the cycle of domestic violence.