Stronger Legal Protection Needed For Domestic Violence

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – As The Bahamas continues to see several cases of domestic violence, attorney Ranard Henfield believes there is a need for stronger legal protection in this area.

He says too often, men and women find themselves trapped in relationships, suffering from abuse.

In 2024, a study from the Inter-American Development Bank shared that one in four women in The Bahamas had suffered physical or sexual violence in their life, with survivors speaking out about challenges accessing healthcare, law enforcement and social services in the country.

Henfield says many remain in abusive marriages for many reasons. He believes it’s too difficult to get abuse victims out of harmful environments.

For this to happen, he says there’s a need for policy changes, more efficient laws and a more cost-effective process.

Amid calls for greater protection for abuse victims is the controversial conversation on marital rape.

He admits though that there are cultural barriers that hinder the recognition of marital rape.