MR PRIME MINISTER, I would ask you to think about and discuss the following if they have not already been contemplated:
1. Make domestic abuse or domestic violence a national issue with legislation that would make it obligatory for all persons to report any form of abuse seen or heard.
2. Commence a complete revamp and legislative overhaul of the Child Care Board (CCB).
3. Establish within every precinct or police station a specially trained squad of officers to respond to domestic situations in conjunction with CCB personnel.
4. Give the power to this unit to remove the child or person from the abusive environment and commence investigation thereafter.
5. Establish CBB special housing, with counselling and ancillary staff, to look after the needs of abuse victims for the short period they are removed from the abusive environment.
6. Establish family safe houses as well for the abuse victim to stay until the authorities are in a position to investigate the situation until resolved.
7. Establish a direct hotline that connects CCB personnel, police, ambulance and any other appropriate agencies suitable for responding, day or night.
8. Make it mandatory for teachers to report findings of abuse to headteachers and that headteachers call the CCB for further investigation.
9. Give the CCB power, upon the call-out to a case of abuse in school, to observe the abused child in the school, take pictures of any injuries, bruises or scars of that child, take the child into their custody to the CCB headquarters and notify the parents via the police to report to CCB for questioning. Let this be done with the police special abuse unit, should there be the need for charges to be pressed.
10. Mandate that the CCB produce a home documentary on abuse, make available statistics on abuse, and show the groups, villages, districts most vulnerable and susceptible so the public can be educated on patterns, environments and conditions that can be contributing to abuse.
11. Establish community campaigns to promote a greater sense of responsibility to the need for reporting.
– Lloyd Gulston
