Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

BVI’s high prevalence of domestic violence court cases bittersweet

BVI’s high prevalence of domestic violence court cases bittersweet

Over the last eight weeks, there were at least nine known cases of domestic violence heard before the Magistrate Court. And armed with this information, the government’s Gender Affairs Coordinator, Tara-Sue Morgan said it is a bittersweet feeling seeing the cases appearing in court.

“It is good in the sense that the cases are being heard and they are being heard in a timely manner in the court system. It also shows that more persons are reporting these cases and they are not being afraid. Sometimes stigma and judgemental feelings prevent some people from reporting cases of domestic violence. Also, the type of relationship they are in, they don’t want to get the information out there,” Morgan said in an interview with BVI News this week.

The gender affairs coordinator said while she is happy more women and men are empowered to report cases of domestic violence, the only drawback is seeing some of the heart-wrenching nature of the cases.

In referencing a court case reported on by BVI News about a 38-weeks pregnant woman who was allegedly assaulted by her partner, Morgan said this showed her the Virgin Islands needs proper psychosocial programmes to foster healthy relationships.

“We want to start it from the grassroots level — primary and preschool level — where we start socialising people on how to have healthy relationships. Abuse is normally learned behaviour over time. We need these programmes at the grassroots level so we can start reshaping our society as to how wholesome and healthy relationships should be,” Morgan added.

Our domestic violence laws need to have teeth


The Gender Affairs Coordinator also referenced another court case reported on by our news team that a man allegedly violated a restraining order taken out on him by his ex-girlfriend after he stomped on her and caused her to lose her unborn child.

Morgan said irrespective of whether cases like these are first time matters, it is disappointing to see people take conflict resolution to that place. She said it shows disrespect for the person being assaulted and also disrespect for the laws put in place to protect residents.

“We have to make sure persons understand the law is there for a reason and persons who do not respect the law should pay for it. That is why when the laws are there, they need to have teeth. The police force is there to ensure persons who violate them are arrested, charged and brought before the court. And that is what I see with this man. Persons cannot disrespect the law, they are there for the protection of our women and girls and men and boys,” Morgan said.

Partnership for Peace Programme working?


Meanwhile, most men who appear before the court for domestic violence cases are referred to a Partnership for Peace Programme offered by the Office of Gender Affairs.

Morgan said the programme was started back in 2010 and have had more than a hundred participants since then. She said based on her assessments, the programme has largely been successful.

“The success rate is high because I think out of all the participants that have been in the programme, we’ve only had maybe three re-offenders which is excellent,” Morgan said.

“The programme is a psychosocial one which offers male perpetrators of violence an opportunity to go through a 16-module programme. There are 16 courses outlined in the programme where they learn coping skills. They learn alternative methods to violence and how to deal with their feelings in a safe way. Most men who go through the programme are normally happy that they do. They are glad because you see the change and it is based on the change then we would go back to court to inform them on how they performed,” the Gender Affairs Coordinator added.

Of the nine known cases heard in the Magistrate Court in recent weeks, eight of them were of men assaulting their female partners and the other involved a woman assaulting the man she shared a living space with using a hammer.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
×