The 914 toll-free domestic violence (DV) hotline has received some 3,889 calls so far for 2023, and the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is working with the requisite agencies to resolve every issue.
Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud provided this update during a recent interview with the Department of Public Information.
She said the hotline has been working well, as the ministry aims to reduce the number of DV cases countrywide.
“Of those [cases] 200 would’ve been specific to sexual offenses or sexual abuse and we would’ve noticed that 500 of those calls came in relation to school issues,” Dr. Persaud related.
The 914 hotline is available to all persons, including migrants, and was created for victims of domestic and sexual violence, as well as other individuals to call for assistance or report incidences of abuse.
The ministry trained and employed survivor advocates to provide victims with the support needed to overcome the trauma from their experiences.
Temporary housing is also available for victims until they are able to provide housing and basic essentials for themselves.
Meanwhile, vouchers and legal pro-bono services are available to the victims of violence.
“For the legal pro-bono services which would be free legal services to persons who would’ve experienced violence, 60 persons would’ve already benefitted from the beginning of the year,” Minister Persaud noted.
Similarly, the ministry’s spotlight programme is leading the charge in fighting domestic violence through the COPSQUAD 2000 initiative, equipping police officers with the tools necessary to respond to reports in a professional manner.
