Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, has defended the recent court decision to charge a domestic violence victim who refused to testify against her alleged abuser, describing the ruling as consistent with the provisions of the Family Violence Act and necessary to curb a growing national problem.
Speaking during his weekly programme Issues in the News, Nandlall said while the situation may appear harsh to some, the law must take its course. He explained that the Act provides for penalties where victims condone abuse or refuse to cooperate with legal proceedings, as such actions often lead to repeat violence.
“Domestic violence is a serious problem. It gets progressively worse, and on many occasions it ends in death,” the Attorney General said. “In many cases, the same victims who beg for their abusers are the ones who later end up mutilated or dead because the violence intensifies. So, when these things happen, the law must take its course.”
The Attorney General stressed that government has done extensive work to strengthen Guyana’s domestic violence response. He cited the establishment of specialized police units, training for officers, the introduction of safe homes for victims, and the employment of trained social workers and counselors across the country.
He added that the Family Violence Act recognized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as a model piece of legislation contains both civil and criminal remedies to protect victims and ensure accountability.
“Under the Act, if a victim condones the abuse or refuses to testify, that person can be charged. What we are seeing here is a classic case of the abused victim syndrome,” Nandlall explained. “The victim pleads for leniency, the abuser is released, and nine out of ten times the abuse returns. I am not wishing that on anyone, but experience tells us how this unfolds.”
Nandlall said he supported the magistrate’s decision to impose a fine of $60,000 in the recent case, noting that the justice system cannot continue to treat such matters lightly. “I believe we have been too lenient,” he said. “We must begin to treat domestic violence for what it is….a life-and-death issue that affects families and communities.”
He reaffirmed government’s commitment to tackling domestic violence through both legal and social measures, and urged victims to seek protection rather than defending their abusers.
“This kind of pleading for the abuser has never reduced domestic violence in any way,” he stated. “It only gives the abuser another chance to do worse.”
