Prime Minister (PM) Andrew Holness expressed deep concern over a recent increase in mass killings in Jamaica, characterising the trend as "bizarre". He identified domestic and intimate partner violence as a key driver of this surge and announced a policy shift to counter it. Holness emphasised the need for legislative changes to make reporting on domestic violence mandatory and indicated a shift away from policies primarily designed to combat gang-related violence, as the profile of murders in the country shifts towards domestic disputes.

Murder shift

Holness plans policy change to rein in killings as domestic, intimate partner violence cases climb

Jamaica Gleaner/17 Oct 2023/Kimone Francis/Senior Staff Reporter

 

DESCRIBING THE increase in mass killings in recent weeks as “bizarre”, Prime Minister Andrew Holness says there will be a policy shift to counter domestic and intimate partner violence, which he suggests is fuelling the major crime.

Holness said his Government is also concerned about the frequency with which these murders are being committed, noting that the leading profile of murders in the country is changing from gang-related to domestic violence-related.

Speaking at a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) meeting in Clarendon North Central on Sunday, Holness said that his Government will begin reviewing legislation to make aspects of reporting on domestic violence mandatory.

“It is always a concern when we see quadruple murders, when we see double murders and triple murders taking place, when we see some of the bizarre murders taking place. You have to wonder what has gone wrong with the morality of the society,” the JLP leader said as he addressed Labourites at the meeting held at Clarendon College.

Holness argued that it is impossible for the police to intercept these murders, which, he said, often stem from family disputes over land or intimate partner disputes.

Between September and October, at least 21 people were killed in six separate shootings.The motives range from domestic to gang-related violence.

A breakdown shows that four people were murdered in Riversdale, St Catherine; three in Grants Pen, St Andrew; four in Duanvale,

Trelawny; four Summerfield, Clarendon; and three in Waterloo, St Catherine.

In July, four people were shot dead during an attack in Central Village, St Catherine, while another three were killed in Frankfield, Clarendon.

Gang-related murders account for 66 per cent of those committed between January 1 and September 30 this year, according to data released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Interpersonal murders accounted for 21 per cent; criminal, four per cent; mob, one per cent; and those for which a motive has not yet been determined accounted for eight per cent.

“If you notice, the profile of the murders that you are hearing about now they are changing. In fact, when we look at the statistics, we are seeing that gang-related murders are decreasing. Murders related to domestic and intimate partner matters are increasing,” said Holness.

“It means that the Government will have to adjust some of its policies because we have geared our policies to deal with murders which are originating from gang disputes [and] organised violence. Now, we’re going to have to pay more attention to the domestic-violence issue,” the prime minister said.

He added that he has already “signalled” to National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang and Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson that an increase in the reporting requirements and obligations for persons with knowledge of domestic disputes or those reported for such may be needed.

LEGISLATION REVIEW

He said that as a strategy, the Government will be reviewing legislation concerning threats of violence and the requirement to report this.

“In our society, we don’t see the use of violence unless it is fatal as a problem, but likkle violence turn to big violence. And so we have to stop any form of violence from being used or expressed. So we are going to change our policies, and in the coming months, you will hear more about what the laws will look like as it relates to the obligation to report violence and the possibility of new charges for the threat of violence,” Holness said.

But hours after the prime minister signalled a shift, three people were killed in a gang-related shooting in Dunkirk in east Kingston.

The shooting happened on Bray Street around 10 a.m. on Monday.

“It’s a gang conflict in the area with men from One-Ten and the Black Street gangs. There is an internal conflict going on,” commander of the Kingston Eastern Police Division, Superintendent Tommilee Chambers, told The Gleaner.

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