Youth parliamentarians in Jamaica on Monday charged that family homes have transformed into lions’ dens instead of havens and simultaneously called for heavier fines to be applied to domestic violence and assault cases that appear before the courts.
Deshawn Cooke, youth parliamentarian for Trelawny Northern who represented Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s Administration, said amid the novel corona virus pandemic there were increased reports of domestic violence and child abuse from within homes, instead of reports of greater nurturing and harmonious living.
Speaking at Gordon House, Cooke made his presentation during the 12th sitting of the National Youth Parliament against the backdrop of intensified reports of domestic violence and child abuse due to the effects of the mandatory work-from-home order for public sector workers, which was put to an end on December 31, 2021.
Citing statistics from the National Children’s Registry (NCR), Cooke said more than 1,000 allegations of sexual abuse were reported for investigation between January and June 2020.
According to the Jamaica Observer, Cooke argued that in some instances, police downplay the importance and severity of reports of domestic violence and child abuse and neighbours turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to the problem.
