Domestic tragedy clouds budget deliberations

THIS WEEK there is a surfeit of issues on which those of us involved in the media can comment. Not just the traditional media, I must say, but even more so those with regular offerings on the internet via social media.

Normally, pride of place would go to the Budget Debate, especially in this pre-election period which tends to grab the attention of persons who normally would not spare much time in listening to, never mind offering informed comment, on the Budget.

This year however, the much-anticipated 2020, the Budget and Debate have been upstaged by, first the death and burial of Governor General Sir Frederick Ballantyne, and, tragically, the slaying of a Cuban nurse by her Vincentian husband in a school compound in full view of their son and his peers. Do such things happen in SVG? We ask in bewilderment.

Since then much has been said, written and conveyed via various forms of communication on the issue. Unfortunately most of the emphasis has, quite understandably, been on the incident itself and on domestic violence as a whole. Yet, how much the sympathy for the slain wife, condemnation of the accused husband, or implications for domestic violence in the society, we cannot afford to lose sight of the biggest victims, the children of the couple and their peers especially those who had to witness the tragic turn of events on the school compound.

I can only hope that whatever our sentiments, that officialdom would give priority towards the counselling and stabilisation of these young people. It must have been a most dreadful experience for them all.

Predictably there has been an outpouring of both outrage and sympathy for the victims. Many organisations, including our political parties and churches have issued statements on the matter, all condemning the resort to domestic violence and the need for peaceful resolution of differences.

Welcome as these are, much more is needed from us all to address the deep underlying roots of such behaviour.

In the first place the perpetrators of such heinous crimes and potential offenders are unlikely to heed the calls to from such violent acts desist because the roots are deep in our society, especially domestic violence. Our history of colonialism and slavery has not made us inclined to shun domestic violence as a weapon of maintaining male dominance.

Worse, the lingering images of our omnipresent media of today, do not lend themselves towards respect for our women.

We loudly proclaim our belief in gender equity but in day to day life, men, even those “of the cloth” and those “of the silk” often err in the opposite direction. Our young men, heavily influenced by musical lyrics and cultural practices, feeling threatened by the surge

of women reclaiming their freedom, often resort to violence as a futile means of maintaining what they consider to be their natural right, “to lead”. In modern society with the proliferation of the gun culture, the outcome is frightening. We may express shock and horror in an extreme situation, but the everyday occurrences of domestic violence, two slaps and a butt (literally and figuratively), are either accepted or ignored.

In fact, one criterion for tolerance seems to be, “did she butt him”? How do we address these especially when there are religious faiths still preaching slavish obedience of females to the will of husbands and spouses?

There is more to this complex and complicated set of issues. Our Police Service, (is it not time to employ the name Service rather than Force?), has been making valiant efforts to sensitize its members on gender issues, but steeped in societal norms, there is still difficulty for many officers, particularly males, to go beyond the day-to-day acceptance of formality and take a proactive stand on the issues at hand.

There is still too many “friend-friend” relationships taking precedence over the law and duty, and a tendency to meek acceptance of violations of the sacred trust of relationships whether formal and legal or common-law.

Even our learned disposers of justice have too often come up short, and up to today, potential violent offenders and their sympathisers point to a slap-on-the wrist sentence of 5 years on a lawyer for the barefaced murder of a young lady right in front of Police Headquarters in full view of Carnival revellers.

That is the sad legacy of such insensitivity.

In conclusion, besides the tragic effects on the immediate family, we cannot but mourn the loss of such a vibrant woman who was making such a sterling contribution not only to our nursing profession but also to the strengthening of friendship and links between the Vincentian and Cuban peoples. As I offer my condolences to the immediate family of Arriana Duarte Taylor and to the Cuban community here in SVG and the government and people of Cuba as a whole, I do hope that her tragedy can serve as a means of bringing our two peoples closer together and more determined to combat domestic violence and the damage it does to humanity.

● Renwick Rose is a community activist and social commentator.