The recording of 68 domestic violence cases in just three months in Jamaica’s Trelawny parish has renewed concerns about the persistence of violence within households and the effectiveness of interventions designed to protect women and other vulnerable victims.
According to figures released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Trelawny recorded 94 domestic violence-related cases between January and September 2026. Of those, 68 occurred during the third quarter, between July and September, representing more than 72 per cent of the nine-month total.
August alone accounted for 34 cases, the highest monthly figure recorded during the period, followed by 23 in September and 11 in July.
The figures were disclosed by Superintendent Velonique Campbell, commander of the Trelawny Police Division, during an anti-domestic violence outreach initiative at Water Square in Falmouth on October 7.
The monthly breakdown shows eight cases in January, three each in February and March, one in April, seven in May and four in June, before the sharp increase in the third quarter.
Campbell described the increase as a major concern and said police would intensify their response through investigations, public education, counselling and community-based prevention programmes.
She also disclosed that 84 of the 94 cases had been resolved, leaving 10 outstanding.
However, the reported resolution rate raises an important question: what does resolution mean in practical terms for victims? Does it represent charges, prosecutions, convictions, protection orders or simply the conclusion of police investigations?
Those distinctions matter because closing an investigation does not necessarily mean that an abused woman is safe or that the perpetrator has been held accountable.
A wider Caribbean problem
While the Trelawny figures relate to one Jamaican parish, domestic violence is a wider Caribbean concern.
Guyana’s own police statistics demonstrate the scale of the problem. According to the Guyana Police Force’s 2024 annual report, domestic violence reports increased from 1,226 in 2023 to 1,567 in 2024.
The same report recorded 916 cases filed in 2024, compared with 637 in 2023, while convictions stood at 170 in 2024.
These figures highlight the importance of examining not only reported incidents but also the progression of cases through the justice system.
Guyana’s government also reported that 761 survivors of gender-based violence received assistance, including rental support, shelter, counselling and food assistance during the first half of 2025.
Meanwhile, international data provides additional context. UN Women’s country profile for Jamaica records 3,615 domestic violence cases filed in court in 2022, with women accounting for 92 per cent of applicants.
The profile also identifies gaps in survivor services, including the availability of shelters and specialised support.
The UN Women-supported Caribbean Women Count initiative brings together research on violence against women in Guyana, Jamaica, Grenada, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. It highlights the importance of examining intimate-partner violence, sexual violence and the barriers that prevent women from accessing assistance.
The available regional evidence should not be treated as a direct statistical comparison because the countries’ figures cover different years, populations and reporting systems. Nevertheless, it demonstrates that violence against women requires sustained regional attention.
Are victims receiving adequate protection?
Jamaica has a Domestic Violence Act and a National Strategic Action Plan to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence covering 2017–2027. Guyana introduced its Family Violence Act in 2024.
However, legislation alone cannot guarantee protection.
Women experiencing abuse may face financial dependence, threats, fear of retaliation, social stigma and difficulties securing alternative accommodation. These barriers can prevent victims from reporting abuse or leaving dangerous relationships.
The availability of shelters, counselling, legal assistance and effective police intervention is therefore as important as the laws themselves.
Jamaica’s Trelawny police commander has urged victims and members of the public to speak out and seek assistance before abuse escalates into serious injury or death.
That message must be accompanied by accessible services and a system capable of protecting those who come forward.
Across the Caribbean, governments should publish consistent data identifying the number of reported cases, investigations, charges, convictions, repeat incidents and domestic violence-related deaths.
They must also disclose how many survivors receive shelter, legal assistance and psychosocial support.
The 68 cases recorded in Trelawny during one quarter are a warning that domestic violence cannot be addressed through occasional awareness campaigns alone.
For women living with abuse, the real measure of government action is whether they can report violence, obtain protection and rebuild their lives without fear.
