Prime Minister, Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew convened a Meeting early last week following the surge in domestic violence in the federation.

According to PM Drew, “what happened in Sandy Point last month with the young lady that resulted in the death of a young man and the recent incident on Nevis that culminated in the death of two persons and the injury of another is heartbreaking.”

He added “rectifying the issues and challenges within the system is a significant priority item on our legislative and administrative agendas.”

Dr. Drew continued and was quoted as saying “Domestic violence is a silent epidemic and one of the leading causes of injury to women. It is critical that we address, sensitize and educate our people on domestic violence because it affects the entire family structure.”

The meeting included Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs – Mrs. Janelle Lewis-Tafari, Director of Gender Affairs- Mr. Virgil Jeffers, Assistant Commissioner of Police- Andre Mitchell; the Attorney-General- Hon. Garth Wilkin among others.

The discussion surrounded existing institutional challenges and potential legislative amendments to improve the prevention and detection of such incidents.