Clauston Francis, chief of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), says domestic violence is one of the most complicated issues the police force has to handle.
Francis made the announcement on Wednesday at the VC3 Round Table Talk.
In many reports, Francis says the police would investigate and do what the law required, but the victims would go back to the same homes.
“This is a complex issue that the police, civil society, and the state all have to deal with, but there are no simple solutions”, he said.
Officers don’t take complaints seriously
Francis said they take complaints seriously, especially when it’s a repeat offence. However, the victim sometimes makes it difficult by refusing to cooperate.
“We advise that persons to go to court and tell the judge what your decision is since at the very least we will have done our part by arresting the abuser and carrying out the other necessary steps. We take these matters seriously, especially when children are involved”.
Francis credited the Ministry of National Mobilization and the Department of Family Affairs for working closely with the CID to address domestic violence issues.
Additionally, the CID chief thanked the Sexual Offensive Unit for its assistance in these matters.
The assistant superintendent of police, Elgin Richards, said dealing with domestic violence issues is difficult since some people would return three or four times with the same complaint.
“The law gives us some teeth, but other agencies handle other aspects of complaints”.
He said that some officers are negative and would treat those who are suffering harshly. However, we continue to work on such issues.
