Part I– Her Story/Their Story

Today, I highlighted a few names from an ever-growing list of victims and stopped counting. Jezelle Phillips, Gabriella Dunbarry, and Pollyan Chunlesingh are from Trinidad and Tobago.

Somattie Keosoram, Naiee Singh Naiee, 31, an ad­min­is­tra­tive of­fi­cer, and Sharon Burnett, 56, are all from Guyana.

Neville Sinclair fled Jamaica to escape a toxic relationship, Shantel in McMaster in a supermarket shot dead by her lover, Suzanne Easy, killed by defense force Corporal Doran McKenzie, who later took his own life.

Unfortunately, there will be more victims before you finish reading this article; whether you are a teacher, student, wife, mother, aunt, or sister, the murder rates and violent crimes, particularly against women, are high.

Domestic violence, in particular, is a public health concern along many of these coastlines.

Every 14 hours, a victim is killed by a spouse, ex-spouse, or a dating partner. And someone is abused by an intimate partner every 20 minutes. According to experts and the Center for Domestic Violence, domestic violence accounted for nearly 19% of the total burden of healthcare for women aged 15-44..

According to studies, approximately 40% of the Caribbean population considers crime and security issues to be more serious than poverty or inequality in their nations. But also, even as leaders argue these numbers to paint a better picture, the psychological effects continue and that cannot be measured.

Systematic Failures

Authorities frequently lack resources, particularly in rural areas where technical skills to solve difficult crimes could be improved.

Weapons have largely replaced discussion as a means of resolving minor conflicts today. Disagreements can easily devolve into brutal personal aggression and killings due to a lack of resources for resolution. These perpetrators frequently overlook criminogenic risk factors such as anti-social cognitions and behavior. (Domestic Violence-Podcast)

The silence is deafening

Selective amnesia frequently sets in, rendering it ineffective as a strategy; neither minimization nor photo-ops empathy is a strategy; tweets do not elicit fundamental support, and frequent comparison to another country does not provide an action.

Often a sudden visit to a victim’s home is good, but without resources or a quick policy that focuses on getting to the root of the problem, including women’s concerns and the community, is not a long-term solution.

Despite the fact that violence is pervasive, there have been numerous reports of mentally disturbed or racist individuals with easy access to high-powered weapons killing or targeting innocent victims. However, the reported one or two killings per day on these shores add up regardless of location.

It appears that the same record is being played over and over again; we will look for solutions, and where local concerns appear to be drowned out. Furthermore, these atrocities must be solved by apprehending potential serial killers on local streets and in communities.

How many women have gone missing, been abused, or murdered before these latest victims, and their cases have gone unsolved?

Far too frequently, a consistent trend, “The police investigation is still ongoing, while the families of the vulnerable victims seek adequate answers. When is the “Where does the next button stop along these shores, and in many other places?

How many young lives have been snuffed out? Your next teacher, cop, doctor, social worker, or even prime minister could be you. It appears that these perpetrators have taken out life insurance policies, and in order to cash them in, they have resorted to violence.

The blame game

Rapidly accusing the victims is minimization, and the argument that those men kill out of mistrust and poor judgment, and that she should stop complaining about how much they spent on her should be refuted.

Even more problematic is some people’s re-victimization attitude as if they deserved it.

In our society, discussions about these cases frequently begin with an interrogation of the victim.

“She had the option of fleeing the situation.”

What was the source of her abuse? ….. Why didn’t she just leave?

She should flee, but where will she hide in a system riddled with flaws designed to protect their vulnerability? It’s always about what she should have done, not what should have happened.

But no one ever asked the perpetrator as it seems, whether in jail, school, church, or the community, why he or she chose violence

Many victims, and even those tasked with assisting them, may deflect or minimize. We recognize traditionalists, or the “silent generation,” as experts refer to people who were raised to be seen but not heard.

Changing an old ideology

The rise in violence, particularly against women, necessitates a critical examination of the cause, as well as policies to provide more protection and support.

Though laws and women’s rights movements date back to the 1950s in the region, such as in The Bahamas, led by Dr. Doris Johnson. However, several of these laws are out of date and may need to be revised to address current concerns.

Domestic violence is still considered taboo in some cultures on many Caribbean islands, as well as in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. It has a long history of male chauvinistic (macho) status.

Many people still consider street harassment to be normal, and few will admit that it is a serious problem. This behavior frequently escalates into unwanted touching, assault, kidnapping, and death.

Unfortunately, many victims remain in the shadows after being re-victimized, humiliated, blamed, and given little support, even when the offenders are involved.

Women’s and other victims’ upward socioeconomic mobility may have become a threat to some males because she is now independent, confident, and more educated, which severely challenges traditional thinking in which gender roles were defined and she was better suited or relegated to the kitchen.

This violence appears to be following a pattern similar to other places where ethnic, cultural, and religious cleansing has occurred as a result of geopolitical conflicts. Human rights reports have revealed that women are vulnerable and that if they do not comply with orders, many are molested, brutalized, or killed.
 

The cycle, disconnect, and long-term impact

Every year, over three million children are exposed to domestic violence in their homes. Some children were raised with the mistaken belief that if their worried mother stayed, everything would be fine.

However, due to a lack of effective responses, resources, and often accountability on the part of local law enforcement and the judiciary, as well as insufficient training for first-line responders to handle these violent cases, the cycle continues for helpless victims.

These victims’ stories are frequently politicized, deflected, or given little condemnation by elected officials in order to prevent tourist ships from docking, keep hotels full, or simply because they are also indirect victims of the impact or are afraid to speak up.

Getting to the root of the problem

Leaders must invest more resources in community policing, treatment programs, victim services, and youth organizations to identify troubled individuals, as well as in job training and rehabilitation to induce a mental shift in how they resolve conflicts.

Before deploying a vaccine, these local systems must be able to identify criminal symptoms using psycho-sexual assessments.

It is frequently a 48-hour news cycle, guilt, social media bliss, and promises made as if governance could be accomplished in a few characters. Some of your leaders should go back and read their social media promises and what will be arranged, with little or no support for victims’ follow-up.

Confronting violence against women means ensuring that their community remains a great place to live, work, and play, with the ability to provide resources to underprivileged victims, such as food and personal care items, as well as a safe place for victims to tell their stories without being revictimized.

The Barriers

Poverty, inequality, stigma, and polarization make it difficult to provide critical resources such as family or personal counseling. Treatment, victim services such as mediation, or shelters would be possible with intervention. Access to these services, according to experts, would change the course of many Latin American and Caribbean communities.

Unfortunately, experts have noted that some group interventions remain in the shadows, lack proper staffing, and close quickly, and convicted offenders frequently require the cooperation of law enforcement to ensure they attend treatment programs.

Victims continue to use the healthcare system more than others, and for a longer period of time.

Today, it appears that some elected leaders have selective amnesia when it comes to violence, from robberies to ongoing missing students. They are frequently entangled in the complexities of policing, politics, and community.

Vigilant justice on top does not foster vibrant communities. It only reveals a deeper, systemic problem in the community, and people must speak up to reduce violence. “If you see something wrong, report it.”

Part II- Accountability in the Chinese style may help to reduce this senseless violence.

China’s growing global presence has been documented in studies and publications in recent years, with new inroads into the Caribbean islands and Africa. They have seen a cultural explosion as a result of Chinese companies and other recent investments.

These private investments were reported to offer a path to improved economic growth and security.

If the Chinese takeover of high crime islands public safety operations is successful, will it save more women from domestic violence killings and other criminal issues?

Given the Chinese influence on these shores, I reluctantly began to speculate. I entertained some deep thoughts and investigated this trend after consulting with a few experts and friends. To protect their investments, they may offer a more robust public safety strategy.

This idea is less likely because reports have shown that China has human rights issues, such as forcing Mandarin on ethnic minorities like the Uyghurs. However, because they have already invested in and own key areas of these shores, importing another approach to addressing these public health issues may work. This intrusion may result in improved technology and training.

According to scholars, this contentious practice “who are their friends and all their enemies.” If this were to happen, violent criminals would face severe movement restrictions, which is exactly what many victims face in these toxic relationships.

These victims require your assistance.

In these many of these communities, violence against women persists in the shadows. After she gathers the courage to come forward, these victims deserve your support and an action plan.

There is a struggle, particularly on the higher crime islands, to distinguish ideology from policies to combat this malevolent that is becoming more virulent. Even if it reduces the number of children who go missing or are later found dead, it may be worth considering..

The system must improve its assessments and interventions in the areas of mental health and substance abuse. Often, social media only focuses on high-crime areas, leaving rural areas unnoticed. Build confidence for the next generation of awareness by talking about domestic violence. We can no longer blame it on culture, where the objectification of women is still acceptable.

Let us continue to talk about it.

I hope that more helpless victims will receive critical additional support from other women and organizations when they come forward without fear of financial repercussions.