Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding is calling for an in-depth review of the Domestic Violence Act to offer more support and protection to victims of domestic violence.

Golding, who made the call in Parliament on Tuesday, December 5, pointed out that a joint select committee, of which he was a part of some years ago, had recommended a large canopy of amendments to the act. However nothing has been done to legislate those changes.

“In particular relation to the Domestic Violence Act, which relates to the matter at hand today, that committee felt quite strongly that the Domestic Violence Act was insufficient as a legislative framework to address the cultural and sociological, economic, emotional issues that surrounds gender-based violence and domestic violence, in particular, and that it needed to be looked at more deeply, not just from the point of view of criminal offences and so on, but the whole issue around how victims of such violence can be supported and can be given redress through a system that is sensitive to their needs and the realties in which they live, including often where there is some financial dependence on the violence perpretrator,” he said.

He further suggested that the review process include members of the public, members of the opposition and other stakeholders who may an interest in the issue.

In an update in Parliament, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange said: “We are far advanced in amendments to the Domestic Violence Act and it will address the low hanging fruits that came out of the joint select that were recommended and it also include fine for breach of protection order, it includes how we will treat with perpetrator’s use of firearm and a number of others.”

The gender minister also announced that a joint select committe will be established to review the proposed amendments to the act.

“We will be addressing that matter, next week where I will name the members of a joint select committee because where we have reached now is the drafters are just about finished drafting the amendments to the bill. It will go to the legislative committee, it come to Parliament to a joint select committee and then the bill will be tabled. So, I am speaking about that happening next week, so we are far advanced with that,” she said.

The Domestic Violence Act is geared towards offering protection to victims of physical and mental abuse from persons they reside or involved n an intimate or familial relationship.

In an effort to bolster its reponse to the issue, the gender ministry officially launched its Gender-Based Violence Helpline and Sexual Harrasment Investigations Unit.

The Bureau of Gender Affairs, a division of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, through its Gender-Based Violence Unit, has responded to7,466 cases of gender-based violence to date.