Domestic violence contributes to most hospital- treated injuries in Clarendon
CLARENDON, Jamaica — The Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA) has reported that most injuries treated at the May Pen Hospital in Clarendon in 2016 and 2017, were as a result of domestic disputes.
This, VPA said, is based on statistics provided by the hospital, which reported that 63 per cent of women and 74 per cent of men who turned up at the hospital in 2016 are as a result of fights and arguments in the homes and on the streets.
Dr Elizabeth Ward, chairman of the VPA, who presented the findings at a Peace Building Action Workshop held at the St James Methodist Church Hall in May Pen recently, pointed out that “majority of these injuries occurred in the homes”.
She noted that when women were the victims, the perpetrators were boyfriends.
“In 2016, 26 per cent were boyfriends and 27 per cent were acquaintances. For the six-month period alone in 2017, 30 per cent were boyfriends and 23 per cent were acquaintances,” she informed.
Meanwhile, sexual assault among women accounted for 27 per cent of violence related injuries in 2016 and 28 per cent for a six-month period in 2017.
Robbery and burglary was eight per cent among men in both 2016 and 2017 and two per cent among women in 2016 and four per cent in 2017 for the six months period.
On the other hand, gang related injuries among men and women accounted for one per cent in 2016 and four per cent and eight per cent, respectively among women and men for the six months period in 2017.
Ward argued that these violence related injuries can be addressed through mediation and counselling; mainstreaming unattached youths; creating a rule of law by establishing a National Public and Safety and Justice Commission.
The objectives of the workshop were to provide data for the parish on major crimes in 2014 to 2017; violent related injuries and cost of care treatment at May Pen Hospital and the impact of violence, including violence against women and children, shared by citizens.
The workshop was funded by CSJP III, Ministry of National Security and the Department for International Development Caribbean.
