Magistrates urged to be sensitive in dealing with domestic violence cases

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Carl Singh last Friday admonished local magistrates to be extremely sensitive when processing cases of domestic violence as he launched the Colloquium on Gender, Domestic Violence and the Courts, an initiative undertaken by the Supreme Courts of Guyana and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
The upsurge in domestic violence must not be ignored, Justice Singh said as he pointed to horrifying headlines that have flooded local newspapers in recent times. “Women battered with hammer, woman found with throat slit, wife raped and sodomised before child, woman buried in house.” To bring an end to these dreadful acts of violence, he said magistrates must be sensitive, considerate and provide help and safety to victims of domestic violence as against making inappropriate remarks which can cause further harm.
It was at this juncture, he noted that reports have surfaced about the violation of statutory procedures in cases of domestic violence, as he pointed to instances where inappropriate remarks and comments were made to victims emanating from the magisterial bench.
The acting chancellor said no longer can cases of domestic violence be treated as normal assault, positing the needs of victims must be taken into account.

“The complainants in domestic violence cases have special needs and concerns, for female complainants, it is often a case that they are dependent on an abusive partner for financial assistance or such a person may be living in a home with the relatives of the abuser, and they may continue to be threats from him and his family… these are all circumstances which call forth the need for special sensitivity by magistrates in such circumstances.”
Justice Singh said magistrates should seek to utilise the scheme of the domestic violence legislation that provides a range of options for the completion of cases in an appropriate time frame. If cases where domestic violence is prolonged, he said there is a high possibility that abusers can influence, persuade and convince victims to drop the charges laid which could lead to further violations such as death or serious bodily harm.
While the court has its role to play in mitigating this rising social ill, Justice Singh posited the need for the state to take a firm stance through the provision of social services by meeting the basic needs of families affected by domestic violence.
Reflecting on the past, he said domestic violence was viewed as a personal matter. He also applauded the efforts of the Human Services and Social Security Ministry for initiating steps to educate ranks of the Guyana Police Force, who were accused of encouraging victims of domestic violence to “make up” with their abusers.