DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DISCUSSED

January 05, 2007

Guests of Love FM’s Morning Show today discussed the issue of the recent murders of three women allegedly by their spouses. Director of the Women’s Department Doctor Carol Fonseca says, sad as it may be there are sobering lessons that are to be taken from the incidents.

Doctor Carol Fonseca:Director of the Women’s Department

“I think one for the most important lessons for us to learn is the fact that as a society we have to intervene. We have to be coming out not only talking about the issue but also being very proactive. One of the things that really disturb us is when we hear about these three particular cases is the fact that many members of the family and friends and relatives also knew about the abuse that was taking place. It wasn’t as though as if it was one particular incident. It was a pattern of violence in all three cases. Once again in brings to the whole issue in terms of people coming out and looking at domestic violence at not a private issue. It’s something that we have been talking about at the department for a long time.”

Canon Leroy Flowers, who heads the Belize Council of Churches, says that every Belizean has it within their grasp to turn back this terrible tide; they just have to want to make the change bad enough.

Canon Leroy Flowers:President of the Belize Council of Churches

“There are many who are afraid of their husbands and they don’t know where to turn. I say that as a society we need to help each other. If I know that you are abusing your wife I need to talk to you and tell you that’s not acceptable. We can’t be friends if that is how you are going to treat your wife in my presents. We need to demand more from each other and that is what is happening. We are blaming everybody and I’m certain we soon will be blaming the politicians when in reality it is the human person, the human spirit a sense of dignity and purpose. If I love my wife yes I will disagree with her and I will tell you I always disagree with her but I have not married a child. I think this is where we need to reeducate our men in the way by which we train them and treat them so that they intern will learnt to respect and to honor and to value there spouses and their partners. Equally a woman needs to demand more. They take too little and there fore nothing from nothing produces nothing.”

Doctor Fonseca says there are several services available to victims of domestic abuse and violence.

Doctor Carol Fonseca: Director of the Women’s Department

“We use the hotline numbers that are available. We call in to different agencies like the women’s department. We use the domestic violence unit hotline that they have haven house shelters.So we access the services that are out there.”

One of those services is offered at the Police’s Family Violence Unit. The head of that office is Sergeant Marcia Moody says it’s easy to get help.

Sergeant Marcia Moody

“You need to get in touch with the hotline. There is a toll free hotline. 0800-292-9688 and that toll free hot line is right at the family violence unit free of cost. Services are provided there 24 hours a day 7 days a week. So every time you call someone will answer the phone. You have concern, you need advice feel free to call.” 

While that service is freely available, Sergeant Moody says it is sometimes frustrating when abuse victims, for whatever reason, walk away from the help they offer and then end up in trouble. It’s a reoccurring cycle she says, that is not helpful to anyone.

Sergeant Marcia Moody

“We as the Police Officer understand that the complainant is the person who will make the decision on what he or she want the police to do and base on the decision that the complainant made then the police will work according to what he or she wants. We the police is there to serve and if we have that complain three times for the same day then the police will respond in a positive attitude and action in getting the work or the matter settle. As it is it is seem as a breach in the peace and the police will respond to ensure that peace is kept or restored.”

Doctor Fonseca says that the fact that the three murders came in the wake of the sixteen days of activism campaign, is not an indication of a failure on the part of her office or any of the agencies involved.

Doctor Carol Fonseca: Director of the Women’s Department

“I certainly do not see that as a defeat to us at the department if anything you know this further strengthens in terms of the fact that we need to work much harder and we need to work more closely with all of our partner agencies and we continue to invite members of the community as well as the religious based organizations to become involve in this problem.This is what we have been calling for and we want to especially engage men in helping us to participate and to engage in the discussion about what we can do to promote zero tolerance within our society because we strongly believe that we can work here at the women’s department in having forums and educating our women but if we do not have our men sensitize about their role that they should play in ending domestic violence the we are not going to move forward as a society.” 

Doctor Carol Fonseca, Director of the Women’s Department.

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