More protection proposed for victims of domestic abuse

THE proposed overhaul of Jamaica’s domestic violence laws could give victims clearer rights to police assistance, including help to safely retrieve personal belongings from the homes of alleged abusers. The issue was raised last Thursday by Member of Parliament for St James West Central Marlene Malahoo Forte as the joint select committee reviewing the Domestic Violence Act, considered a submission from the emerging political movement Left Alliance for National Democracy and Socialism (Jamaica LANDS). In its submission, Jamaica LANDS proposed that the legislation should establish a statutory right for victims to request assistance from a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in several circumstances, including being accompanied to the residence of an alleged perpetrator to retrieve personal property.

Malahoo Forte said such a provision could address concerns she said have repeatedly been brought to the committee’s attention about the handling of domestic violence complaints. “One of the recurring complaints that we hear is the reluctance or failure in some areas of the police to take complaints of domestic violence seriously and victims are turned away in some places. I know we have made progress on that.

And as I heard the proposal to create a statutory right of a victim to request the assistance of the police to accompany him or her to, say, for example, the residence to retrieve items, I think that may be helpful,” she said. “I’m not generally in favour of just expanding matters, but I think there are some practical suggestions here from LANDS that could directly address some of the recurring concerns that we hear. And I like this one, because it takes away the discretion of the officer to say, ‘I don’t consider it serious enough’,” added Malahoo Forte.

Under the proposal considered by the committee, a victim would also be able to request JCF assistance to get to a place of safety, including the Child Protection and Family Services Agency, a family member, or friend’s home, a shelter, or another safe location. The proposed rights would extend to assistance in seeking medical treatment, making a criminal complaint where the conduct amounts to an offence, obtaining information about protection orders, seeking legal representation, and having a protection order served on the perpetrator. The proposal also calls for victims to be able to request that…