LAW AND ORDER: First Lady Davis suggest the need for Special Victims Unit

LAW AND ORDER: First Lady Davis suggest the need for Special Victims Unit

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Ann-Marie Davis, wife of Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, yesterday suggested the Royal Bahamas Police Force create a Special Victims Unit (SPV) to specifically handle children and gender-based violence matters.

Davis, who heads the Office of the Spouse, was speaking on violence against women and children on the heels of the recent death of four-year-old D’Onya “Bella” Walker from blunt force trauma to her body, after being brutally beaten.

Her comments also come after video footage being circulated on social media of a man beating a woman in the street before running her over with his car. The woman remains in hospital in critical condition.

“We are abhorred by what took place, shocked that the poor woman was beaten and likely stabbed before being run over,” Davis said, responding to the horrific video.

“That is just so heart-wrenching.”

She noted that the Office of The Spouse is working with several local and international NGOs who work in the area of gender-based violence and join the advocacy to curb the increase in violence being seen.

“The statistics are shocking,” she continued.

“We heard even before the pandemic we had one in every three women who were sexually abused and we have now seen a massive uptick of violence against women and children since the pandemic.

“It is just out of control and we have to do everything we can, as much as we can in every area, whether it’s this MARCO alert system, whether it’s being our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers again,  or by calling the hotline numbers.

“We have to have faith that when we call these hotline numbers, something will be done.”

Davis indicated that her office is also currently working with local NGOs to improve legislation surrounding the issue.

“We are looking at the rights of the child, the Child Regulations Act, to make improvements and suggestions to the attorney general and minister of national security and see how we can have a special victim unit in the police force to address this,” she continued.

“We need a specialized force and this is the voice and the cry of all the NGOs. This is what they are all saying. We are all advocating for the same thing. It’s just very bad.

“The level is unacceptably high.”

The wife of the prime minister added that she will seek to use her influence by calling on the powers that be to table the bills and have them discussed, debated in Parliament and passed to increase protection laws.

“Whatever it takes, I am there to take it a step further and make sure it happens.”

About Sloan Smith

Sloan Smith is a senior digital reporter at Eyewitness News, covering a diverse range of beats, from politics and crime to environment and human interest. In 2018, Sloan received a nomination for the “Leslie Higgs Feature Writer of The Year Award” from The Bahamas Press Club for her work with Eyewitness News.