Justice Minister Delroy Chuck is urging victims of domestic violence and other forms of abuse to use the Victim Services Division parish offices.

“The truth of the matter is when anyone is a victim, please, we have a victim service office in every parishes, discuss it with the victim service officer who can get a counsellor to assist you in overcoming whatever abuse or injury that may have been caused. It is not in your interest to take it upon yourself to exact revenge. The truth is that once you engage in violence, it continues in a cycle of violence. Violence solves nothing and that is what I preach right across Jamaica. When you use violence to solve your problem you create more violence,” the justice minister pleaded.

He was speaking at a Legal Aid Justice Fair held in Annotto Bay, St Mary, on Friday, September 15.

The Victim Service Division supports the ministry’s mandate of providing social justice services to Jamaicans by delivering psychosocial support for victims of crime, as well as advancing efforts that promote victims’ rights.

Chuck also commended the restorative justice unit for its successful procedure in assisting spouses resolve conflicts.

“We have many examples of spouses who can’t get along and instead of going to a marriage counsellor, they go to the restorative justice office and amazingly, by the opportunity to speak out and highlight what is happening between the party’s, restorative justice has been able to heal the problems that have spouses engaged with and somehow they are able to come back to the restorative justice unit to thank us for this programme of restorative justice. So, those of you here and those of you listening, please get to know what restorative justice is about. It’s a very simple tool where the party’s can get together, where third party’s resolve their challenges and restore their previous relationships,” he said.