KINGSTON, Jamaica — People’s National Party’s (PNP) Shadow Minister of Gender Affairs, Sports and Information, Natalie Neita, says she is alarmed at what she described as the increased level of violence against women in the home.

“We are frightened by the increasing levels of vicious attacks and murders and other serious crimes which are being perpetuated against our women. These attacks have been on a steady upward trend and must be urgently addressed,” Neita said in a release from her party this afternoon.

The shadow minister is calling on the government to introduce a programme to assist “at-risk families with coping mechanisms to lessen the frequency of domestic violence, which often results in horrific fatalities”.

According to Neita things took a turn for the worse recently with the murder of three women in western Jamaica.

“We are all aware that crime has been a major challenge for Jamaica over many years; however, there was a time when women and children were spared from its ravages, but this is no longer the case. Women and children are being murdered at rates never experienced before,” she said, adding that this is happening against the background of a promise by the Government of a “non-existent crime plan”.

The shadow minister urged Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange to impress upon Prime Minister Andrew Holness and her colleague Minister of National Security, Horace Chang to develop and implement within the realm of a national crime plan a system of protection for children and women; and to ensure that a specific strategy for gender based violence be included.