‘Walk away,’ Rowley tells men in break-ups

THE Prime Minister urged men involved in romantic break-ups to simply walk away peacefully.

In a statement on Friday, Dr Rowley said he was speaking as a father and grandfather in response to the recent spate of domestic-related murders.

He said men must acknowledge the end of a relationship can be emotionally difficult for all participants, but there is a need to act properly.

“Regardless of that difficulty and trauma, we must at all times hold ourselves responsible and accountable in our behaviour.

“I urge you to be strong enough that you still honour those happy memories, by walking away without the threat of physical or emotional violence.”

Saying women play a role in building healthy and resilient communities, he said domestic violence erodes the fabric of society and breaches another person’s human rights.

“The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has been working diligently to ensure acts of domestic violence and all forms of gender-based violence are reduced significantly or eliminated from our country. The OPM’s Gender Affairs Division continues to develop projects to address such violence and build mutual trust between men and women, he said.

“In the OPM, the Central Registry on Domestic Violence is a data collection system which assists in strengthening the current surveillance systems for the development of targeted intervention strategies on domestic violence.” Based on details gathered by the registry, the OPM is planning initiatives to build mutual respect between men and women and encourage modification in behaviour. These include a community-based action plan to end gender-based violence, amending the Domestic Violence Act, creating a Domestic Violence Unit in the police service and creating safe spaces for victims. Rowley urged victims and witnesses to call the domestic violence national hotline (800-SAVE) for referrals to agencies such as the police, Children's Authority, Lifeline or Rape Crisis Society.