Domestic violence on the increase - Maxine Henry-Wilson

Henry-Wilson

SENATOR MAXINE Henry Wilson, Information Minister, has said since the launch of 'Operation Intrepid' last July, there had been a noticeable decline in crime and violence, but noted that domestic crimes, particularly against women, had increased.

Operation Intrepid was launched to curb the spate of violence in some 15 communities in the Corporate Area, which had recorded, over the last couple of years, the highest levels of criminal activities, mainly armed violence.

Senator Henry-Wilson said statistics showed that since the beginning of the year, there were 2,241 reported cases of assault of women by men, compared with 2,524 cases for 1999.

"So with less than half of the year gone, we are just short near to 283 from last year's figure for the entire year," she noted.

The Minister was speaking recently at the Optimist Club of St. Andrew 'New Optimists Wanted' (NOW) meeting in Kingston.

With regard to reported rape cases against women. Senator Henry-Wilson pointed out that in 1999 there were 875 such occurrences, marginally up from 1998.

She said the incidence of wounding reported by women, amounted to 1,121 in 1999 and the statistics this year were showing cause for great alarm.

The Information Minister observed that while persons concentrated on gun violence, there was the need to also pay attention to the use of knives, "which is becoming the most used implement for assault".

"During the course of this year, the knife has become the weapon of choice in terms of murdering and especially in cases of domestic violence," she added.

She said the Offensive Weapons Bill which sought to prohibit the bearing of offensive weapons such as knives in public places, did not receive support when it was brought to the House last year.

"Perhaps we (the Government) did not sufficiently explain what it was about. What we got was that the knife was a defensive and not an offensive weapon and that it was the poor man's gun," she said.

Senator Henry-Wilson informed that the Bill was withdrawn and would be studied further.

The Minister told the audience that two factors that were becoming more evident in violent crimes were the declining age group of those involved.

"Most of these young people grew up without any kind of community love and caring," she said.

She mentioned that a research document done by the University of the West Indies entitled "They Cry Respect", revealed that "most persons respected nobody, church was a bother and school was a waste of time". The research was conducted in inner city communities and community leaders were interviewed.

She also noted that the research showed that most of the social institutions, which were necessary to build the morals of persons, did not exist in the communities.

In light of this, the Minister called for human relations and interaction to be built in these communities and urged the Optimist Club to take up that charge.

"As a service organisation, the financial aspect is very important, but what is far more important is the human resources that go into it," Mrs. Henry-Wilson said.

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