“Sexual Offenses Unit unfortunately scrapped in Trinidad and Tobago,” says Garry Griffith

Just like every other citizen, the NTA views as unacceptable the horrendous increase in domestic violence incidents, many of which have led to both women and children tragically losing their lives.

"Sexual Offenses Unit unfortunately scrapped in Trinidad and Tobago," says Garry Griffith

Trinidad and Tobago: Garry Griffith- A former Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago, has promoted its new party National Transformation Alliance with a press release. He said that Gender-Based Violence, Child Protection and what was to be a newly formed unit called the Sexual Offenses Unit. Unfortunately, these plans were all shelved.

Here is the full statement of Garry Griffith: 

Just like every other citizen, the NTA views as unacceptable the horrendous increase in domestic violence incidents, many of which have led to both women and children tragically losing their lives.

What we are witnessing now in this country, as it relates to women and children suffering such attacks, and unfortunately in some cases losing their lives, has a direct correlation to what happens when politicians get involved in independent institutions. 

Recently, within the Police Service, a Gender-based Violence unit was set up. This unit was properly staffed and decentralized. In fact, GBVU was just part of a larger entity which was to be called the Special Victims Department (SVD). The SVD would have encompassed three different units which, because of their very nature, tended to have crossovers. 

These three units were Gender-Based Violence, Child Protection and what was to be a newly formed unit called the Sexual Offenses Unit. 

Unfortunately, these plans were all shelved.

Whilst in the chair as COP, interim Political Leader of the NTA held meetings with numerous special interest and stakeholder groups, attempting to change the paradigm, as to how these types of offenses were treated. Griffith shares, “One such attempt included the provision of the necessary resources to allow these units to provide a ‘delivery’ service and to minimize persons having to come to a station to make reports of such a sensitive, personal and dehumanizing nature.

 To assist with the efforts to transform the way business was undertaken, the TTPS mobile App was established, which allowed persons to make reports and to do so anonymously, if they felt this was better for them. 

This app also had a very important feature an SOS button which allowed persons in trouble to simply press, and their location could be determined by the TTPS. Additionally, the capacity to accept online reports was created, which forced investigators to initiate contact with the survivors. 

All this has since been either removed, redesigned or not implemented. The Sexual Offenses unit was unfortunately scrapped, as it was decided that these cases can simply be handled by CID.” The net result of these decisions is that we are back to a place where women must go to stations to make these very personal and traumatic reports, and in some instances, face the insensitivity, ignorance and/or misogyny, of officers at the desk.

It should also be noted that domestic violence had been reduced by 40 percent during the period aforementioned, and we in fact saw reductions, during the lockdowns, caused by the covid 19 pandemic, when virtually everywhere else in the world was experiencing spikes in domestic violence. 

But now paradoxically, Trinidad and Tobago is seeing a spike when things are reopening or are reopened. In response, the authorities are bringing out their usual nebulous excuses or explanations, such as we are a violent people, or we need prayer, or the breakdown in family is at the root-cause of the problem, which by the way are are all facts and true, however this does not remove the responsibility of the Government and/or the TTPS from fulfilling their primary objective, which is to keep citizens and visitors to our country, safe and secure.

The GBVU brought a high degree of public trust and confidence to our people, and this was evidenced by the marked increase in reporting we witnessed (reporting almost doubled). We did not only see victim’s reports increasing, we saw a wider range of persons making reports, such as family members, neighbours, and work colleagues. 

In short, we saw a more collective approach from more and more citizens, and as people, the nation started believing that the TTPS could prevent the eventual worst outcomes, associated with domestic violence. Public trust and confidence had increased and actually coincided with public trust and confidence of the entire TTPS, which moved from 17 % in 2018 to 55 % in aug 2021.

That public trust has apparently declined yet again, and with it we see the negative effects on victims of intimate partner, sexual and child violence.

These types of crimes require special training, including sensitivity, congeniality and an understanding as to how one should treat with the survivor/victim, when reports are made. Interim Political Leader of the NTA shares, ‘Survivors expressed feeling as though they were the suspects instead of victims. 

In some cases, they were admonished and told to go back home, and to take care of their husbands/wives. If badly dealt with, by an officer who is not sufficiently trained to deal with such crimes, he or she can make matters significantly worse, up to and including terminal outcomes. 

We developed Standard Operating Procedures that outlined how these reports should now be treated. Clearly based on what we are seeing now, these things are not happening.’

Griffith advises, ‘Despite the depressing circumstances, however, please do not despair, and have hope, because what was done can be corrected, and the NTA stands ready to help in any way we can, because we firmly BELIEVE that it is patriot before politician, and country before party.’