On Patrol - Episode 1 Domestic Violence
Join CNC3 Presenter Robert Dumas as he goes On Patrol w/ Police Commissioner Gary Griffith. One in three women in T&T suffers from domestic violence, On Patrol takes an in-depth look into this crime and national issue.
Transcript
00:00 murder here along Gatwall extension Pinto Rururima has sent shockwaves throughout the
00:04 community.
00:05 I ran to the bedrooms, I saw my sister tied up.
00:08 This happened in this quiet little village.
00:17 Four lives taken.
00:18 Two happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
00:26 Another woman has lost her life at the hands of her estranged husband.
00:31 She was confronted by her estranged husband who shot her twice.
00:39 When a man armed with a gun ran into the house then into one of the bedrooms where he shot
00:45 mother of one Gabriella Dubari three times.
00:55 This is the reality for one in three women who suffer acts of violence at the hands of
00:59 their partners.
01:02 One in three women who experience physical sexual violence at the hands of their partners.
01:08 One in three women who do not tell anyone.
01:11 They're silenced by their fears.
01:15 Here in Trinidad and Tobago an average of 25 domestic violence murders occur annually.
01:21 On average that's three women were killed every month in 2019.
01:25 Our objective is to take you the viewer out of your comfort zone.
01:31 To lift your inertia.
01:33 To stir you into action.
01:35 What you are about to see you may find disturbing.
01:38 However the reality is it is a stain on our country.
01:42 Together we will shatter the window that isolates and hides you.
02:09 The cycle starts off with what we call the honeymoon phase.
02:14 And this is the phase where you are very much in love.
02:19 You are sharing intimate stories.
02:23 There is trust.
02:26 Maybe a sexual relationship develops.
02:28 And so there is real closeness.
02:31 So I remember I came to Tobago without him.
02:52 And his words to me were, "I care for Tots." so that took me a year down.
03:14 People ask the question, what kind of person finds themselves in a situation of abuse?
03:15 What kind of person finds themselves perpetrated in abuse?
03:16 And there's a kind of a fallacy behind that question.
03:17 That there's something about individual behavior by itself that drives domestic violence.
03:19 Well, just the sheer dimension of domestic violence, not only here in Trinidad and Tobago
03:24 but all over the world, tells us there's something else at work.
03:27 It's not just individual behavior or individual pathology.
03:31 And that other thing at work here as well as everywhere else is gender inequality.
03:36 It's by no accident that the majority of victims are women and girls.
03:41 Because what we see domestic violence as is an act of power and control.
03:47 When you are in the relationship, can you choose what you want to do, where you want
03:55 to go, who you want to be.
03:56 I remember him telling me stuff like, "You're so uneducated.
03:57 You don't have a degree.
03:58 You come from Tobago and want nothing."
03:59 After years into the relationship, I became pregnant with our future.
04:00 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:01 I was in the relationship with my wife.
04:02 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:03 I was in the relationship with my wife.
04:04 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:05 I was in the relationship with my wife.
04:06 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:07 I was in the relationship with my wife.
04:08 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:09 I was in the relationship with my wife.
04:10 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:11 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:12 I was in the relationship with my wife.
04:19 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:20 I was in the relationship with my wife.
04:21 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:22 I was in the relationship with my wife.
04:23 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:24 I was in the relationship with my wife.
04:25 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:26 I was in the relationship with my wife.
04:27 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:28 I was in the relationship with my wife.
04:29 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:30 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:31 I was in the relationship with my wife.
04:32 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:33 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:34 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:35 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:36 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:37 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:38 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:39 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:40 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:41 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:42 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:43 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:44 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:45 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:46 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:47 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:48 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:49 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:50 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:51 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:52 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:53 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:54 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:55 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:56 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:57 I was in the relationship with my husband.
04:59 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:00 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:01 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:02 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:03 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:04 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:05 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:06 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:07 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:08 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:09 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:10 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:11 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:12 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:13 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:14 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:15 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:16 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:17 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:18 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:20 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:21 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:22 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:23 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:24 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:25 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:26 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:27 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:28 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:29 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:30 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:31 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:32 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:33 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:34 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:35 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:36 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:37 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:38 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:39 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:40 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:41 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:42 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:43 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:44 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:45 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:46 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:47 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:48 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:49 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:50 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:51 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:52 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:53 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:54 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:55 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:56 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:57 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:58 I was in the relationship with my husband.
05:59 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:01 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:02 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:03 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:04 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:05 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:06 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:07 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:08 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:09 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:10 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:11 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:12 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:13 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:14 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:15 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:16 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:17 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:18 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:19 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:20 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:21 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:22 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:23 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:24 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:25 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:26 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:27 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:28 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:29 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:30 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:31 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:32 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:33 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:34 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:35 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:36 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:37 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:38 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:39 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:40 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:42 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:43 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:44 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:45 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:46 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:47 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:48 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:49 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:50 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:51 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:52 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:53 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:54 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:55 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:56 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:57 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:58 I was in the relationship with my husband.
06:59 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:00 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:01 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:03 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:04 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:05 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:06 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:07 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:08 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:09 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:10 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:11 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:12 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:13 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:14 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:15 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:16 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:17 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:18 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:19 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:20 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:21 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:22 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:23 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:24 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:25 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:26 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:27 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:28 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:29 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:30 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:31 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:32 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:33 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:34 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:35 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:36 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:37 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:38 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:39 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:40 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:41 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:42 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:44 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:45 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:46 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:47 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:48 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:49 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:50 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:51 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:52 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:53 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:54 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:55 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:56 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:57 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:58 I was in the relationship with my husband.
07:59 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:00 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:01 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:02 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:03 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:05 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:06 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:07 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:08 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:09 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:10 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:11 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:12 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:13 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:14 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:15 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:16 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:17 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:18 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:19 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:20 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:21 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:22 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:23 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:24 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:25 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:26 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:27 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:28 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:29 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:30 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:31 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:32 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:33 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:34 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:35 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:36 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:37 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:38 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:39 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:40 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:41 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:42 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:43 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:44 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:45 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:46 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:47 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:48 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:49 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:50 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:51 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:52 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:53 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:54 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:55 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:56 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:57 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:58 I was in the relationship with my husband.
08:59 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:00 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:01 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:02 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:03 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:04 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:05 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:06 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:07 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:08 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:09 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:10 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:11 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:12 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:13 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:14 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:15 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:16 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:17 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:18 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:19 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:20 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:21 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:22 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:23 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:24 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:26 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:27 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:28 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:29 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:30 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:31 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:32 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:33 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:34 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:35 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:36 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:37 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:38 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:39 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:40 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:41 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:42 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:43 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:44 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:45 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:46 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:47 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:48 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:49 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:50 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:51 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:52 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:53 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:54 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:55 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:56 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:57 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:58 I was in the relationship with my husband.
09:59 I was in the relationship with my husband.
10:00 I was in the relationship with my husband.
10:01 I was in the relationship with my husband.
10:02 I was in the relationship with my husband.
10:03 I was in the relationship with my husband.
10:04 I was in the relationship with my husband.
10:05 I was in the relationship with my husband.
10:07 Violence against women and girls cross-cuts class, cross-cuts ethnicity, even cross-cuts
10:13 age groups.
10:14 But if you are in a low-income group or in a no-income group, you are an employer, it's
10:18 harder to leave the situation and therefore you experience violence much longer and perhaps
10:24 also more violent forms of violence because you are in there much longer and there's no
10:28 way out.
10:29 To me, the story is about police officers abusing, otherwise it's too common.
10:33 I think one of the main things that really bothers me as a victim, or as a former victim,
10:41 is really how do I trust the police?
10:44 Because if I'm hearing cases where you've beaten your wife, then I really don't want
10:50 to come to you and tell you, "Hey, my husband beat me up."
10:53 Because I don't feel as though you're going to do anything to assist me.
10:58 I work with a lot of young people and many of them come from homes where there are situations
11:03 of domestic violence.
11:05 One in particular that stands out in my memory is a mother sharing with me that on occasion
11:11 she would wear two or three pairs of underwear whenever she's going out with her partner
11:16 because inevitably he would tell her to get out of the car and in that way she would always
11:21 have an extra set of clothing.
11:23 I think we need to understand what is domestic violence.
11:27 Domestic violence are generally not only acts of violence.
11:32 It could be psychological, it could be financial, it could be an act or a series of acts between
11:41 parties who have some sort of relationship.
11:44 Let me ask you a question.
11:46 Do you think that, I mean every situation is different, but do you think that women,
11:50 I'm just adding this, that they provoke men to do these things sometimes.
11:54 I'm just asking.
11:55 Women are very smart.
11:56 They realize that the authorities are on their side.
11:57 So they create a situation.
11:58 When you react, what happens?
11:59 She used to drive me to the point for me to get aggressive with her.
12:09 What I mean by that is she had long nails and sometimes, let's say, I reach home late,
12:16 she will ask the question, "Where have you been?"
12:18 When I give the answer, she will see a line and with that now she will make advance and
12:23 scrape.
12:24 From your personal experience, do you feel you have anything to do with it?
12:27 I don't know.
12:28 A messed up thing to say.
12:29 It is and these are the reasons why women don't come to the police.
12:35 I know why I'm asking that.
12:37 I know why because...
12:38 Because when you go to the station and they say, "So what you do?
12:40 What you do for the man to hit you?"
12:43 What can I do for you to hit me?
12:45 It's not a matter of that because we will have men come into the station and report
12:49 the same thing about the women.
12:51 Nobody believes men now.
12:53 Nobody believes men when they abuse them.
12:57 The situation in Trinidad now, I let the majority of the people accept the fact that men is
13:05 the abusers.
13:07 This woman is terrorizing me psychologically.
13:11 She's not doing certain things.
13:12 She's keeping the child away from me and sometimes we tend to think that men have to be tough.
13:17 So all the flowery b****, right?
13:19 That woman here all the time about go to the court and go and apply for this and apply
13:22 for that, they can go to the court.
13:23 There are courts.
13:24 There's the family court.
13:25 Go to the court and let the court decide who can see the child when.
13:29 Do you have to beat me because I do not want you to see the child?
13:31 I understand that.
13:32 I understand.
13:33 I don't like what you're saying right now.
13:34 Should I slap you?
13:35 Listen to me.
13:36 No, you're laughing because you don't have to be afraid.
13:41 You don't have to be in a situation where you are saying, "Well, should I not say...
13:46 You are asking me a question.
13:47 I shouldn't say what I feel because you might not like that answer.
13:51 You slap me?"
13:52 And you're correct.
13:53 But all I'm saying is that we need to treat each case on its own merit.
13:57 And I can tell you from experience, not every situation where every time a woman comes to
14:01 make a report, sometimes on numerous occasions when you conduct investigations, the woman
14:06 is lying.
14:07 What you got to do when you go by the police and you tell them, "Hey, a woman not rob
14:10 me of money."
14:11 What you got to do, you can tell them, "She robbed you of the money and they go in and
14:15 do something about it."
14:16 No, they're going to slap her.
14:17 They're going to stick it as a kick because they believe that a man supposed to be more
14:20 strong than a woman.
14:21 Beating a woman, if you look at it from the perspective of, "Is her daughter?
14:26 Is your sister?"
14:28 The reaction should be always to, as our good friend here said, "Walk away."
14:33 It is wrong for men to abuse women.
14:37 But we as a society must start.
14:40 You start in the school.
14:41 And when you start in the school, maybe this generation go on.
14:45 Those that are coming will have that respect.
14:49 The aggregate, the ball behind the tuck and the gun, hush them out.
14:55 Don't say nothing and walk away.
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17:29 We have an issue in society, in the family space, in the community space.
17:34 It needs to take place in the community space.
17:37 The solution, the issue is there, the solution needs to take place there.
17:40 And definitely it's something that must involve programs dealing with emotional management,
17:46 emotional intelligence, and dealing with each member of the family unit.
17:52 This issue is not a male specific issue.
17:56 It's not a female specific issue.
17:58 It's a male and female.
18:00 This force of violence is something that we both need to work on together.
18:05 It must be done together.
18:07 That behavioral change, we need to start asking those questions.
18:10 The hard questions that we have problems debating, those are the questions that we need to ask
18:15 each other.
18:16 Domestic violence is something that will always be around because that stems from a lot of
18:21 different things.
18:22 Financial issues, broken homes, men generally being abused from a younger age.
18:27 So it could stem from a lot of different things.
18:29 So what the government or what should be put in place is maybe shelters where men can go
18:34 and have a discussion because we as men, we tend to hold a lot of things inside because
18:38 of ego.
18:39 So if we have people that we can sit and talk to and maybe relate our problems to, that
18:43 could probably translate without having to be abused as we are quote unquote being listed
18:49 as today.
18:50 We need to have this policy now for this social concept where we believe nobody must hit anybody
18:55 no matter how soft, no matter how strong the other party is.
18:58 Physical violence of any sort cannot be condoned.
19:02 It must not be condoned.
19:04 Emotional abuse as well is a very real thing.
19:06 I'd like to really bring in Ken Himes, who you yourself have had a lot of experiences
19:13 unfortunately with emotional abuse to the point that you feel that you want to be driven
19:22 to commit an act that you're trying your best to avoid doing.
19:28 And of course Rondell has been part and parcel in that counseling session.
19:33 Just give us an idea.
19:34 Yeah, because it's an issue we're going on gradually, gradually.
19:38 Since 2007 this is going on.
19:40 But no madam, right through the allegation, they came into the court, right through, so
19:44 then they sent me up to the jail.
19:46 And when I come back down from the jail now, she tell me, man, they said I was here one
19:49 more case again.
19:50 Right through the police said, leave it, what is that, a gun?
19:52 She said, I pull a gun and she, me here no hand to pull no gun.
19:54 This time she go and say, I pull, I pull a cutter by she neck and take extra money to
19:58 change the chest.
19:59 Only allegation.
20:00 And when I face the magistrate, the magistrate putting me out my house and all these kind
20:04 of things happening.
20:05 Sometimes I call the police, when the police come, the police say they can't no issue.
20:08 Look, I bring them up to for allegation.
20:10 But my turn on them, the police, she bring me up to one, the police serve me the summons
20:16 and her serving my summons to my madam.
20:18 It's an allegation thing right through, so.
20:20 I went up to the city magistrate, now the magistrate telling me, tell my wife, if I
20:23 do anything, if I do say anything, I need to come back.
20:25 All my wife looking for is a restrainer or that I put more under more pressure.
20:29 I want she put me, I want she put me under that pressure now.
20:31 My turn on them, go let's go, go here where I am, because she don't see nothing, she don't
20:34 take care of the turn on them.
20:35 I be taking care of my turn on them.
20:37 I be washing, I cooking, I doing everything, so.
20:39 But it's an allegation and this thing had to stop.
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22:14 The first port of call is a police station.
22:30 You need to report acts or allegations of domestic violence to your nearest police station.
22:39 The TTPS are obligated, regardless of whatever station you go into, to take your report.
22:45 You can make a report at any police station throughout Trinidad & Tobago.
22:50 Unfortunately, when it comes to law enforcement, I think we have not seen and understood the
22:59 importance of us trying to deal with domestic violence.
23:02 The Trinidad & Tobago Police Service, we put a lot of emphasis on many aspects of law enforcement.
23:08 Many times we put emphasis on what we will see as violent crimes such as gang related
23:13 activity, homicide, rape, kidnapping.
23:16 But the concept of domestic violence, we have virtually trivialized it to the point now
23:21 that we see this as something not as important as dealing with homicides and that is wrong.
23:26 What the Trinidad & Tobago Police Service is doing now is putting the importance of this.
23:30 We have an MOU with the NYPD.
23:33 We have done immense training with specific officers for them to understand how to deal
23:38 with domestic violence.
23:40 And we have made mistakes.
23:42 We will continue to make mistakes.
23:44 We are the Trinidad & Tobago Police Service.
23:46 But what I can give you the assurance is that we will learn from our mistakes.
23:50 Last year alone you had 33 women die.
23:53 33 women die.
23:55 Yes.
23:56 And you always hear people say over and over and over, the police, the police didn't have
24:03 a vehicle to come.
24:04 You went into the station and the policeman said, well, you know, so you can behave yourself
24:09 and don't go online?
24:11 You can't behave yourself and sit at home and listen to the man?
24:13 Let me ask you a question.
24:14 You think it's correct for the police officer after they do the investigation realize that
24:17 the woman was telling an untruth to charge that woman for wasting the police time?
24:20 Yes, there is a law that says if you wasted the police time you get charged for that.
24:24 But don't tell me because you had last year you had five women come in the station and
24:28 say, hey, this man beat me up, right, and I want you all to arrest him.
24:33 And then you realize now that she's lying that you're going to tell me the 33 others
24:37 deserve to die because five of them lied.
24:39 It's important that domestic violence stops.
24:46 You were never made to be somebody's punching bag.
24:51 You were never made to house in your person a view of yourself that you are less than
24:59 or that you have no value.
25:01 And so it's important to get help.
25:06 It's important.
25:07 And the reason why it's important to get help is because it's difficult to break
25:14 this cycle on your own.
25:17 One of the most used and recommended strategies is to develop a safety plan.
25:22 You can actually go online and find resources that tell you how to develop this.
25:26 Or if you have a professional who you could speak to, you can ask them for help with
25:29 developing a safety plan, which is essentially you coming up with a strategy for how you
25:35 would leave if you need to, if you're in an abusive situation.
25:40 So a call is made where two or a couple days of altercation at home.
25:45 We are mandated under this new unit, we are mandated to respond immediately.
25:51 If the talk is that we don't have a vehicle in the station, we will get a vehicle so someone
25:56 at the station.
25:57 So we respond to it.
25:58 On arrival, we will interview the boat persons.
26:02 Once it's not a violent confrontation that we can interview them, we will interview them.
26:06 And then we'll try to find out what is the basis.
26:09 Based on the assessment by the first responding officer, we will know now how to trigger it.
26:14 So we'll call a specialist on the gender-based violence unit who will come in one time immediately
26:19 and have a conversation with the couple.
26:22 And then they'll be able to make an assessment and ask us or tell us how to go forward.
26:26 If it is that the couple cannot go forward together and one person says, "Okay, I don't
26:32 want this person around in my space.
26:34 I don't want to take out a protection order."
26:35 Then it's very simple, they come to the station, continue with the report, go to the JP, get
26:40 a date for the protection order, which is between 7 and 21 days.
26:45 But in the interim, they'll be given an interim protection order in the event.
26:50 We will serve the person that copy from the 10 code.
26:54 And once that interim protection order is passed, the police officer have no choice.
26:59 If it's violated, the person will be immediately arrested.
27:03 [Music]
27:08 Now the perpetrators will be aware that there would be consequences.
27:12 And that is how we intend to deal with domestic violence.
27:15 Through that gender-based violence unit, we can hand in hand with the child protection
27:19 unit, the victim and witness support unit.
27:21 So the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is much more than just law enforcement, hard
27:25 targeting, patrols, rapid response, intelligence gathering, arrests.
27:29 We are also looking at those measures to assist each and every citizen, those persons who
27:35 need assistance.
27:36 So I do have an issue when it is I see people trying to take advantage of others.
27:40 My job is to fight for those and to protect those who need protection.
27:44 [Music]
27:46 So we've gotten your attention.
27:48 Now what?
27:49 How do we as a society move forward knowing that here in Trinidad and Tobago, one in three
27:54 women suffer acts of domestic violence at the hands of their male partners?
28:00 Judith Lewis-Hirman, a trauma expert, states that the guarantee of safety in a batching
28:04 relationship must be based upon the self-protective capability of the victim.
28:10 Until the victim has developed a detailed and realistic contingency plan and has demonstrated
28:16 her ability to carry it out, she remains in danger of repeated abuse.
28:22 We cannot do what is needed to escape without our support, understanding, and protection.
28:28 She is our daughter, sister, mother, friend, co-worker, student, teacher.
28:35 She is one in three women who suffer acts of domestic violence at the hands of a male
28:41 partner.
28:43 She needs us.
28:45 [Music]
29:03 Join us once again next week Monday as we discuss with the Commissioner of Police Gary
29:07 Griffith the spike in domestic violence in TNT during this pandemic.
29:11 [Music]
29:28 You're watching CNC3.