Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says domestic abuse must be treated as a public problem as Dominica registered two deaths over the past 24 hours as a result of domestic violence.
Police have confirmed that the body of Marshall Jean Jacques was found hanging in the heights of Morne Prosper on Sunday. He was being sought in connection with the murder of his girlfriend, Avonelle Charles, a mother of seven, on December 31.
In the other incident, the body of medical practitioner, Dr. Velma Valmond, was found in a pool of blood at her home in Goodwill, on the outskirts of the capital last Friday. Police said the 32-year-old boyfriend of the 35-year-old doctor “was also found on the floor ….and in a state of distress…and was transported to the Accident and Emergency Department of the Dominica China Friendship Hospital” they said the man is now in a stable condition.”
Their deaths brought to 18, the number of people murdered last year.
In a New Year’s message, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said as his administration embarks upon the task of “resetting” the agenda for Dominica, following the snap December general election, it will also involve a “re-assessment of our strategies and approaches to governance to deliver growth to our country and strengthen our social systems to promote the well-being of all persons.
“As we reset, we will continue to do our utmost to protect and support our citizens in times of crisis and distress. More than ever, our children, women, and elderly need us to speak up loudly to shield them from abuse of all forms. Domestic abuse must be treated as a public problem which requires us to respond to prevent and punish all acts,” he added.
“The reset, therefore, calls on us to be more empathetic to the needs and circumstances of others; and carve out a role for every person in Dominica in the creation of a more peaceful, progressive country.”
The leader of the opposition United Workers Party (UWP), Dr. Thomson Fontaine, also condemned the killing of the two women within hours of each other, calling for more protection of those who are victims of domestic violence.
CMC/
