The Covid-19 pandemic has not only led to deaths but increase in domestic violence, sexual abuse and other forms of violence here in St.Vincent and the Grenadines and across the globe.
That’s according to director of Marion House and human rights activist Jeanie Ollivierre who was a panelist on a television program on VC3 on Monday hosted by the Ministry of National Mobilisation.
Ollivierre said these psychosocial disruptive consequences can be attributed to the new watch words- quarantine and social distancing.
Counsellor at the family court Dannielle Wyllie James added that during the pandemic there has been an increase in domestic violence cases recorded at the family court. She noted that the increase has not only been observed in SVG but other countries worldwide as studies have shown that there is an increase in mental issues globally due to the pandemic.
School attendant officer in the Ministry of Education Alton McPherson said most times children are the ones who are negatively impacted by domestic violence which normally shows in their behaviour and school attendance.
The panelists share the view that domestic violence is everyone’s business and encourage citizens to report every incident of domestic and other forms of violence that they hear or see.
