It was on Talking Points on ZBVI 780 AM on October 28, 2024, that Gender Affairs Coordinator Patricia Hackett disclosed that for 2024, up to September, 5 men were victims of domestic violence and that 1 matter was of sexual assault, 8 were serious assaults, and 56 cases were minor assaults. Photo: domesticshelters.org

Gender Affairs Coordinator Patricia Hackett, right, was on Talking Points on ZBVI 780 AM on October 28, 2024. October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month. From left: Damion C. Grange, Violet Thomas-Gaul and Mrs Bvi Rhonda R. Victor-Pinnock. Photo: Facebook

With 65 men reported being victims of domestic violence for the period January to September 2024, radio announcer Zan Lewis wanted to know if the male victims are generally being abused by local women. Photo: Facebook/File

It was on Talking Points on ZBVI 780 AM on October 28, 2024, that Gender Affairs Coordinator Patricia Hackett disclosed that for 2024, up to September, 103 women were reported victims of domestic violence, with 23 being serious assaults.

High number of male victims of domestic violence

Hacket also revealed that 65 men were victims of domestic violence and that 1 matter was of sexual assault, 8 were serious assaults, and 56 cases were minor assaults.

“Zan [Lewis] wants to know if it is the local women abusing expatriate men?” Co-host Damion C. Grange informed.
Hackett said she didn’t have those figures and noted that she doesn’t think police collect data based on nationality and jurisdiction, “but that’s a very good question.”

“But regardless of where you are from and you live here, you are part of the society…so whether you are from Trinidad or Grenada and you are being abused or you are the abuser you should be dealt with the same way…” Hackett added.

“Maybe Zan just needed an opportunity to vent or tell his story,” Mr Grange quipped.

Power & control

Earlier, Hackett noted that most domestic violence cases are about power and control and noted that developing healthy relationships would curb domestic violence cases.

“A person might want to control for different reasons: for finances, living conditions, the person [the victim] might not have anywhere to live and he or she [the abuser] is the person who has the residence where you can live, you have a lot of power and control that could take place there. So you have to do as he says or she says,” Hackett stated.

She added that from her “experience working in this area” for a number of years, some of the things that women experience as victims, men experience them too and, in some instances, worse.

VI too small for such high numbers- Hackett & Mrs BVI

Hackett also said the population of the Virgin Islands is too small for the type of domestic violence numbers being recorded. “These are very, very high numbers.”

Another guest of the show, Mrs BVI Rhonda R, Victor-Pinnock, who is a domestic violence survivor, agreed that the numbers were too and that it may even be higher.

“These are the record numbers, imagine those that are not recorded.”

Victor-Pinnock also said being Mrs BVI and having a platform has presented the opportunity where several males have approached her to share their domestic violence stories, “and it’s quite alarming because some of these males never reported the issue because of the fear and stigma that is associated with reporting such incidents.”