Better protection for abused women

THE EDITOR: We are living in very sad and fearful times, when the very law that we turn to for protection has lost its power to be of effective service to abused women and children. Our lawmakers have to readdress the domestic violence laws, in affording women and children the kind of protection that is necessary for their growth and safety.

And also a plan of redemption for the abuser. An abuser is someone who is mentally unbalanced, and that individual needs help; for most people of a similar nature are too blind to recognise their needs and seek professional assistance. The court should be empowered to provide such help for these persons, and may I suggest that they should be given no choice in the matter. With the appropriate assistance, we as a people can save some, if not all those affected by abuse. The redemption of one will have a positive effect on the lives of an entire family, and more. In life generally, we seem always set on treating the symptoms and never the cause of the disease.

Protective custody should be readily available for the victim and children of the victim, if she so chooses, from the moment the application is made for the protection order. On the day/days of the hearing, she should never be allowed to enter or leave the courtroom unprotected. Those at her workplace should be appraised of her situation so that care could be taken in giving out information, and that arrangements can be put in place to ensure her safety. If unemployed she should be trained within a field suitable to her, to enable her to secure some form of financial independence.

I know putting these things into place would take time and money, but the life of a human being is more than time or money, because once destroyed no amount of money or time can bring back one’s life. To those who survive the trauma of abuse, physical, verbal or otherwise, their children remain psychologically damaged, the vicious cycle of that type of life continues to multiply, and society will eventually reap a whirlwind of mental and psychological damage to human beings. Please save our women, our children and the next generation of men. We all need each other.

MARY LEE
Arima