Prime Minister, the Hon. Philip Davis highlighted the amount of child abuse cases in the country while speaking on the subject of violence last week at the Baha Mar Resort Convention Center.

He said, “violence diminishes our collective potential, erodes our communities and casts a long shadow over future generations.  In The Bahamas we are painfully familiar with the cost of violence.  Every year hundreds of children endure abuse, a figure that continues to climb.  Gender based violence remains a blight on our nation with one in four Bahamian women experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.   Homicides, suicides and violent assaults remain stubbornly high and while we have seen progress in some areas the persistence of these trends reminds us that much work remains.”

The Prime Minister said viewing violence as a public health issue allows the government to address the root causes and develop policies grounded in evidence.  “The prospective also calls for collaboration across every sector of society.  Violence is not just a matter for the police or the courts, it impacts our health systems, our education systems and our economic prospects.  It demands an integrated response bringing together government agencies, community leaders and international partners to address its dimensions.”