Domestic Violence Reports are Up in TCI; here’s why

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, December 29, 2023 – More instances of sexual assaults are being reported in the Turks and Caicos islands, but that increase is partly credited to more confidence in the Royal TCI Police and better protection of victims according to Dean Holden, Superintendent of Safeguarding and Public Protection Unit.

Holden was responding to a direct question from the media about domestic violence which often goes under reported including by Police.

“There is an increase in sexual offenses, whilst that is regrettable in terms of victims, it also supports our approach in terms of engendering confidence in the police to report these offenses,” Holden said while speaking at a December 22, National Press Conference.

“Invariably these offenses are routinely underreported so we have had an increase, however, part of that is because we’ve had more engagement with communities in particular through the Safeguarding and Public Protection Unit,” Holden said.

He urged residents to keep this context in mind when assessing the increased numbers.

During the December 22 national press conference on Crime, no statistical data on instances of domestic violence; whether it was up or down and the leading culprits for sex crimes. However, the perspective by Superintendent Holden mirrors the October 2023 statistics from the Department of Gender Affairs, which reported an increase in local domestic violence reports as well.

In this case, too, an increased willingness to report abuse was cited for the spike in reports.