Victims and counsellors joined forces yesterday to call for more to be done to stop violent attacks on women by repeat offenders.

And Police said they have noticed a growing number of domestic attacks in recent weeks and said it was evidence of a “community in crisis”.

Spokesman Dwayne Caines said: “In recent weeks we have noticed a rise in the amount of domestic complaints.”

One teenage violence victim told The Royal Gazette she was attacked in her home by her brother soon after his release from a four-year jail sentence for a machete attack.

She said: “A restraining order can be broken in one minute. Women don't feel safe. People get a restraining order, make a complaint and press charges but what happens after that? You are on your own.”

She said prison wasn't working. “You lock someone up but if they are not getting help it will make them increasingly hostile.

“Is the public safe from criminals? I speak to people who have been incarcerated. They get all the drugs and alcohol they want but they don't get the one-to-one therapy they need.

“They won't say things in group therapy. They don't get treated. I want someone to do something about it. I think people should take violent criminals more seriously.”

Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister said Government had been proactive in this issue with the passing of the The Prison Amendment Act 2002 in June which made attendance at prison programmes mandatory.

He said prisoners were assessed to see if they would benefit from sex offender, violent offender and anger management programmes.

He said: “When that decision is made, attendance is mandatory, it isn't optional.”

Those that attend can qualify for early release on parole after one third of their term has been served while those who refuse will be made to serve their full term.

Mr. Lister said he met with the chairman of the parole board last week and said prisoners who were not complying were already being turned down for release.

He said: “That's what I want to hear. That will protect the community in terms of whose free to be released and whose not free to be released.”

It has also been claimed that Police took a long time to respond to domestic violence incidents.

“When they finally get there they say they didn't see anything even though the evidence is all over your face so they don't press charges,” said the victim of violence.

Mr. Caines said: “The Police Service takes all complaints by the public very seriously and domestic complaints are treated no differently than any other incident but domestic violence is unfortunately a wider problem.

“The causes go far beyond just the scope of Police. We are talking about a community in crisis.”

He said women should also call the Women's Resource Centre who worked hand in hand with the Police.

Physical Abuse Centre chairperson June Augustus said prison was beginning to address the problem but agreed Police needed to do more.

She said: “They need to learn as much as they can about domestic violence so they don't just push if off and not do too much about it.

“Domestic violence is usually done by men but most Police are men.”

She said women often suffered until they reached crisis point and couldn't take any more.

Women's Resource Centre executive director Penny Dill said: “We are concerned people are coming out of prison and re-offending.”

She said she believed the Government's alternatives to incarceration policy would give offenders special help.

“Our great concern is people known to be violent are being released into the community but not monitored. The probation service and the Police have to work together more closely.”

Stiffer sentences for violent criminals were needed said Ms Dill as well as more research into what made people violent.

“Is it something to do with what happened in their childhood or is it a mental illness?”

She said problems could get worse if they weren't handled properly in prison and she said some violent offenders needed to be put in mental institutions rather than prison but judges didn't have the powers to do this as was shown in a recent case.

Ms. Dill said there were anger management programmes in prison. “That isn't going to help. We have to look at the root cause.”

Shadow Home Affairs spokeswoman Patricia Gordon-Pamplin called for more to be done to stop the rising tide of violence.

She said: “We cannot continue a soft approach to crime and lawlessness.

“It is imperative violent criminals know their actions will not be tolerated by our society as our public has the right to expect safe passage in their daily lives and safety in their homes.”

She said rehabilitative programmes needed to be more effective.