Protection & domestic abuse

The persistent scourge of domestic violence in Guyana continues to demand decisive action, compassion, and awareness at every level of society. Despite years of advocacy and reform, too many victims remain trapped in silence either by fear, stigma, or the belief that help is out of reach. The recent reminder by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) that victims no longer need to appear in person at a police station to make a report represents a major step forward in dismantling the barriers that have long prevented survivors from seeking protection.
Through the Family Violence Act of 2024, Guyana has modernised its legislative framework to strengthen protection and support for victims, while making the justice process more responsive to their needs. The introduction of new reporting mechanisms, such as the domestic violence hotline 914, has expanded access to immediate help. Victims can now initiate a report with a simple phone call, enabling police to act swiftly to intervene and begin the process of securing a protection order. This innovation recognises a fundamental reality that leaving an abusive environment is emotionally taxing and can also be physically dangerous.
Superintendent Shellon Daniels’ assurance that victims can safely report abuse without visiting a station underscores a shift in law enforcement culture, one that prioritises accessibility, sensitivity, and the principle of protection over procedure. For too long, survivors have had to navigate intimidating environments to lodge complaints, often facing re traumatisation or indifference. This renewed approach sends a message that the police are not only enforcers of the law but also protectors of those most vulnerable.
Yet, the system’s effectiveness ultimately depends on public trust and awareness. As Superintendent Daniels noted, many victims remain unaware of their rights or the protections available to them. Fear of retaliation remains one of the most powerful deterrents to reporting. Victims often worry that their abuser will learn of the report before they can secure safety or that their complaint will not be taken seriously. These fears, while understandable, must be countered by visible and consistent enforcement of the law.
The Family Violence Act explicitly empowers police officers to apply for protection orders on behalf of victims who consent to such action. This provision is crucial in ensuring that those too traumatised or intimidated to act on their own can still receive the legal safeguards they need. However, legislation alone cannot guarantee safety. It must be supported by rigorous training of officers, adequate resources for victim support units, and ongoing monitoring to ensure compliance and accountability at every stage of the process.
The call by Superintendent Daniels for victims to maintain communication with officers handling their case is also significant. The protection order system can only be effective when both the police and the victim remain engaged and vigilant. Ensuring that such orders are properly served and lodged at the nearest police station is not a bureaucratic formality, it is a matter of survival. Each order represents a shield, a legal barrier designed to deter further violence. But without diligent follow-through, that barrier can easily crumble.
Beyond the legal framework, this national conversation must continue to address the broader cultural and social conditions that enable domestic violence to persist. The cycle of abuse thrives in environments where silence is normalised and victims are made to feel complicit in their suffering. Every citizen, neighbour, community leader, and institution has a role to play in breaking that silence. The message must be clear: domestic violence is not a private matter, it is a criminal act and a societal failure.
The GPF’s strengthened mechanisms and renewed outreach efforts should therefore be matched by expanded public education campaigns, shelter support, and community partnerships. Civil society organisations, religious institutions, and local leaders must join forces with law enforcement to create safe channels for reporting, refuge, and rehabilitation.
Domestic violence remains one of the most pressing human rights issues confronting Guyana today. Each case is a life disrupted and a family scarred. The Family Violence Act of 2024 provides a modern and compassionate framework to confront this reality, but laws can only achieve their purpose when they are embraced by those they seek to protect and enforced by those entrusted to uphold them.
The message from the Guyana Police Force is one that must echo across the nation: help is available, protection is possible, and no one should suffer in silence. The fight against domestic violence is a matter of justice as well as it is a measure of the country’s humanity.