Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite has expressed concern about some of the messages being portrayed about domestic violence in Barbados.

Speaking recently at the closing ceremony for a two-week Domestic Violence Instructors Development Course at Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Mr. Brathwaite lamented the fact that discussion on domestic violence seemed to focus solely on intimate partnerships.

???That concerns me, because domestic violence is more than about intimate partners. Even in the issue of intimate partners, there is a bit of hypocrisy, as there are many types of partnerships, and we seem to only focus on traditional, man/woman relationships. We all accept that within Barbados and the region there are other types of relationships that we need to address,??? he maintained.

Moreover, he indicated that by only paying attention to the intimate partners involved in cases of domestic violence, issues of child abuse, elder abuse and the sexual abuse of children, which might be occurring in the same household, were being ignored.

Consequently, the Attorney General, who is also Minister of Home Affairs, called for a more ???holistic approach??? to address the issue.

???Domestic violence is not only a police issue. It???s more an issue in terms of family ??? in terms of how do we build families up. Do we need the Welfare Department involved? Are there housing issues? Are there educational issues? There are a myriad of issues that sometimes cause domestic violence; that cause the individual to treat his daughter or son as an object rather than as part of him or her,??? he stressed.

Coordinated by the Regional Security System and the United States Embassy, the course brought together 20 participants from the police forces of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The lawmen were trained in, among other areas, identifying domestic violence; the myths and misconceptions about this type of violence; and the role of the police officer in investigating cases of domestic violence.

kathyann.husbands@barbados.gov.bb

Pin It on Pinterest