Over 100 persons received assistance from Lusignan Hope & Justice Centre – Dr Husbands

The Lusignan Hope and Justice Centre on the East Coast of Demerara, built in April 2024 through a collaborative effort between the Legal Affairs and Human Services and Social Security Ministries, has assisted over 100 persons to date.
This is according to manager of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Cona Husbands, who added that apart from assisting abused persons, the Centre has conducted several public awareness activities.
“We only opened our doors on the second of April, and, to date, we have assisted over 100 persons. So, we’re continuing to spread that word. We have engaged in many community activities in the area and outside of the area,” Dr Husbands has said.
She also said that of the 100 persons who were assisted, domestic violence topped the list, with over 50 cases. This was followed by elderly and child abuse cases and lastly by legal issues.

“So far, we have seen more than 50% of our cases are domestic violence cases, and we have about 30% of cases coming from elderly abuse and similar child care issues…” she said.
“We do have a lot of child care reports coming to the centre. We have about 10-15% legal issues,” she added.
Dr Husbands has highlighted the new Legal Day initiative that would be rolled out at all centres across the country. This new initiative will see legal advisors from the Legal Affairs Ministry engaging residents at the end of every month to provide legal advice and answer questions.

Meanwhile, the Open Day session which was held on Friday saw attendees touring the facility, interacting with staff, and being educated about the various departments and their functions.
The Hope and Justice Center serves as a “one-stop center” for all GBV-related matters, offering an array of essential services under one roof.