In a harrowing testimony, a woman, who says she was a victim of domestic violence for more than a decade, is alleging repeated negligence by law enforcers in addressing her pleas for help and is calling for stronger legislation and resources to protect victims.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the woman recounted multiple instances when she claims the police failed to take her complaints seriously, leaving her feeling helpless and unsafe.

She told the Jamaica Observer that for more than 10 years she was subjected to physical, verbal, and psychological abuse by the hands of her partner, who controlled her day-to-day living. She said that she was constantly expected to wash, cook, and clean and when she didn’t a fist to the face or a kick to the stomach was her punishment.

Unemployed, she said she had to rely on him financially, often begging for money to purchase sanitary napkins, or asking permission to leave the house, requests that were often denied.

She said that she and the man had an on-again, off-again relationship, which she tried to end on multiple occasions, moving out and finding a job to sustain herself. However, she was forced to move back when he launched violent attacks or threats.

“He would just pop up at my workplace as he feels like. Two other times he came to my house and became physically aggressive and verbally abusive. I called the police and the police did nothing. The police just tell him to go back to his parish and don’t make them lock him up,” she told the Sunday Observer.

“I reported the fact that he tried to hit me with his car on two occasions and the police did nothing. They didn’t even take a formal report for me to say I have made this report because I feel threatened,” she said.

“Everywhere he saw me, he tried to murder me, and I just had this high level of fear walking around because I don’t know if him know where mi live. Him threaten fi firebomb my house. Him threaten fi come shoot up my house,” she said, adding that after these threats she would go back to him out of fear.

The woman said that on one occasion after the relationship ended she had a court appearance with the man and requested that the police accompany her to the hearing because she was afraid. She was told that an officer was assigned to escort her to the courthouse.

“When I got to the police station and I asked for him, they told me that he wasn’t there and they don’t know when he was coming in. By this I couldn’t wait any longer because court is going to start,” she said.

The woman said that while the proceedings went smoothly, on her walk home from the court with her mother she had a near-death experience with her abuser.

“When we started walking he drove us down and attempted to hit us with his car two times. When him realise him never have any other opportunity because of how the road was set up… mi only hear when some people say, ‘No, don’t do it, you a go ah prison,’” she related, adding that when she looked behind her, she saw him holding a car jack that he was apparently going to hit her with but was prevented from doing so when other commuters intervened.

“I was so paranoid. I would be walking on the road and looking behind me. I wouldn’t go anywhere anymore because I didn’t know where he was. Every time I move, him find where I live. So I was always in fear,” she said.

“The police have to take every single complaint seriously, every single one of them. And they have to educate themselves. I see the Government trying, but the officers themselves will have to take these things seriously,” she insisted.

“I feel like if a victim comes 20 times, give them attention the 20 times and do what you’re supposed to do. You don’t know the circumstances under which the person keeps going back, sometimes it’s out of fear for your life,” she added.

She also called for a witness protection programme to be put in place for victims of abuse and is urging changes to legislation to give the police more authority in dealing with these cases.

“Whether or not the victim wants to press charges, the law should allow, where once there is evidence, if the power is taken away from me, in terms of wanting to press charges because of fear, the law should allow it that this person has to face the consequences,” she suggested.

“The law has to change so that people can feel supported and that the police can have some claws. The law has to try to protect and support victims. They make you feel like a victim all over again and that is why people don’t want to talk about it, because they victimise you as well,” she added.

During a sitting of a joint select committee of Parliament reviewing the Domestic Violence Act on April 13, a proposal made by Opposition Senator Sophia Frazer Binns to have the committee reach out to victims of domestic violence to hear their stories was accepted.

When asked her thoughts on this development, the victim said, “I’m happy that they’re talking to the actual victims, because that’s what parliamentarians need to do some more
— talk to the people on the ground so that they can get real insights and make laws that work for the people. Because a lot of times they make decisions that really don’t work because they don’t know the issues of how things really go.”

She added that she would be willing to share her story and urged other survivors to share theirs so that more attention can be placed on the issue.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) last year trained 24 police personnel to respond to domestic violence reports under the Domestic Violence Train-the-Trainer Course. The training was done through the JCF’s Domestic Violence Intervention Centre and funded by the United Nations (UN) Spotlight Initiative, which aims to eliminate violence against women and girls.

Topics covered during the training course were the psychology of self, training development, fundamental concepts in gender-based and domestic violence, and the relevant laws and supporting regulations.

With approximately 8,500 cases of domestic violence reported last year, the JCF, in March this year, launched a campaign, titled ‘Domestic Violence Intervention Cross Country Tour’, to reduce the numbers for 2024. Domestic violence centres are also located at police stations islandwide.