Government hires domestic abuse specialist
A specialist has been hired to help tackle the problem of domestic abuse in Bermuda, the House of Assembly heard this morning.
Tinée Furbert, the Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, said the social worker was hired in April after a review of Bermuda’s response to intimate abuse.
Ms Furbert said the expert would provide a “lifeline” offering safety planning, emotional support and access to services for those in abusive relationships.
She added that the domestic abuse liaison social worker would do so with “compassion, expertise and deep understanding”.
The appointment came after the Government pledged in its 2022 Throne Speech to revisit its response to partner abuse.
It hired SafeLives UK to review Bermuda’s approach and find areas of improvement.
These shortcomings and their fixes were outlined in the five-year Domestic Abuse Strategy released in 2023.
Ms Furbert said that the employment of this social worker marked “one of the most important” steps in the Domestic Abuse Strategy, and that they had started working with victims who “might otherwise have fallen through the cracks”.
Ms Furbert explained: “This officer is already working closely with the Department of Child and Family Services and the Centre Against Abuse, as well as the Bermuda Police Service, Sexual Assault Response Team and the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Committee, known as Marac.”
She said other stakeholders had been approached to further develop the strategic plan.
Ms Furbert pledged to bring abuse out into the open and help survivors feel safe and supported.
She said: “Behind every statistic is a person — a woman afraid to speak out. A man suffering in silence. A child caught in the middle.
“Domestic abuse doesn’t discriminate. It impacts Bermudians of all backgrounds, ages and genders.
“For too long, many have suffered alone.”
• To read the full statement, see Related Media
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