More than one incident of rape per day were taking place in T&T. This is according to a statement issued by the United Nations yesterday. The release said that in 2009, "there were 434 reported rapes, with domestic violence applications constituting approximately 19 per cent of all court matters." The release also gave statistics for Barbados and the Bahamas. It said between 2002 and 2008, some 20 per cent of homicides in Barbados "were domestic-related and the victims were all females." The UN release indicated that in the Bahamas, 17 per cent of the deaths/homicides were the result of domestic violence, while in St Kitts "sexual offences accounted for 24 per cent of the assizes list in 2009 and in Jamaica 49 per cent of girls surveyed between the ages of 15 and 17 reported some level of coercion."
The UN release added: "These statistics, while alarming, do not come close to the total reality." In order to deal with the problem, the UN campaign "Unite to End Violence Against Women" has invited 27 artistes from the Caribbean and Latin America to participate in a three-day workshop in Panama, beginning today. During the workshop, these artistes "will come together and generate compelling messages and other initiatives to raise awareness and advocate for an end to violence against women and girls." T&T's David Rudder and Destra Garcia are among the artistes listed to participate in the event.