Domestic violence on the rise; 120 deaths in five years

Domestic violence is on the rise in Trinidad and Tobago with an average of two people being killed every month in the period 2004 to 2008.

That's the figure presented in Parliament Tuesday by Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Energy Minister Conrad Enill.

He was answering a question from Independent Senator Gail Merhair.

Enill said in addition to 120 deaths, a total of 6,915 incidents of domestic violence were reported to the police during the same period.

According to figures presented by Enill the violence has been steadily increasing:

• 2004: - 962 incidents
• 2005: - 1,291
• 2006: - 1,250
• 2007: - 1,356
• 2008: - 1,556

Enill noted that there were only nine people killed in domestic violence in 2004. The figure reached 26 in 2005. It went up in 2006 with 32 people killed, dropped to 17 the next year and peaked at 36 last year.

Enill told the Senate government has implemented several measures aimed at addressing the issue of domestic violence adding that the Manning administration is committed to doing all it could "to deal effectively" with the problem.