CoP: No data on gender violence during quarantine

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith acknowledged Wednesday that he does not know if there has been an increase in cases of domestic violence in the past six or seven weeks as a result of the confinement against covid19.

Speaking to the media during the weekly police press briefing at the Port of Spain Police Administration Building, Griffith said he had a specialised team working to counter violence in TT homes.

Although in other countries reports indicate that there was an increase in domestic abuse during quarantine, in TT there are no concrete figures.

Griffith explained that increases in cases of domestic violence could be related to the implementation of a specific unit, highly trained to serve in TT with a degree of confidentiality and sensitivity, that now functions within the police.

“We (people) feel comfortable if we can move forward and make reports without fear of retaliation knowing that measures will be taken. That will increase the reports.” Griffith said domestic violence fell into two different categories of reporting procedures, intimate relationships and families in new reports.