Letter to the Editor

Men can be victims of domestic violence too and should be reflected in posters

Wednesday, June 9, 2004

Dear Sir,

Please allow me space in your paper to express a matter of discrimination which I came across on a recent trip to the Family Support Unit of the Royal Cayman Islands Police.

As I walked into the offices of this Department I could not help but notice a poster which was posted in several rooms of the Family Support Unit which read something to the effect that there are many cases of women being murdered by men each year as a result of domestic violence.

Whereas this statement is true, the poster should have also included men as being victims of murder as a result of domestic violence.

My immediate reaction to this statement was to speak to the Officer in Charge and point out to him that this poster was in fact discriminating against men as there are many men in our Cayman Island, over the years, that have been killed by women as a result of domestic violence.

The Officer pointed out to me that the poster was only making a statement to make others aware of the severity of domestic violence.

Well, I do not buy this explanation and ask that these posters be reprinted and include men as victims of domestic violence.

Earlier on the same day of my visit to the Family Support Unit I was visiting the Bodden Town Police Station and I saw the very same posters on Domestic Violence there also.

I also spoke to officers there on this matter, but no-one seems to have taken me seriously when I told them that I would take this matter up with the Commissioner of Police and also express my total objection to the way this poster on domestic violence was written.

I do hope that by exposing this matter in the Press that someone in authority will deal with having this poster redone where it does not discriminate against men.

Thanks for allowing me space in your paper to publish this letter.

Edward (Eddie) W Powell

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