JPs Trained to Help Domestic Violence Victims

The training session, which began on yesterday in Belize City, brought together Senior Justices of the Peace under a new initiative aimed at improving access to immediate protection for victims of domestic violence. The program is designed to prepare JPs to respond when urgent protection is required and immediate access to the courts is limited. Minister of Human Development, Families, and Gender Affairs, Hon. Thea Garcia-Ramirez, addressed the opening of the training. Speaking with the media, Minister Garcia-Ramirez said the initiative is part of government’s wider efforts to strengthen the justice system and improve how quickly victims can access protection. She added that the aim is not to replace the courts, but to reinforce the system by creating a life-saving bridge for situations that require swift action to safeguard individuals at risk.

Thea Garcia Ramirez, Minister of Human Development: “Everybody came together. It’s not very often we can get all these people on track at the same time. We had the director of the family court, Her Worship Miss Deborah Rogers coming together and she is the senior magistrate. So it was all hands on deck and we were able to work on this amendment. And we passed it successfully. And there was a little bit of lag time putting together the training. Some people would have wanted to see it done quicker. Unfortunately, the training manuals had to be put together. The training, the people that were supposed to train had to apply, they had to be vetted to ensure that they met the requirements and the logistics of putting together the trainings. It’s not only trainings for the senior justices of the peace, but also police personnel and also staff from FSGAD, which is a Family Support and Gender Affairs Department across the country for the ministries.”

Minister Garcia-Ramirez says the initiative is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen emergency protection for victims of domestic and gender-based violence, while ensuring that all actions remain guided by the Domestic Violence Act.