What do you think can be done to curb the high level of violent crime, especially against women, in SVG?

Randy Clarke – Artist/businessman

The way to curb violent crime is by creating something, some alternative things for people to do that will actually cause them to occupy their minds and make them creative. We are turning a blind eye to what is going on and we need to put working programs into people’s hands for them to think of alternative ways of making a living. That would help because anywhere there is poverty, you will find ignorance and that alone will cause us to have more crime.{{more}}

Kezron Walters (online):

Strengthen the laws against domestic violence. Harsher penalties for crimes against women, where there is no lawful justification. Probably make mandatory counselling for troubled couples. Police must devise ways of dealing with domestic disputes.

Erica Samuel – businesswoman

The authorities may try to, but they can’t. It is hard to deal with crime. The point is, I’m a woman and we will say things, but we don’t know what went down inside the house. It doesn’t take much for a man to kill a woman, or a woman to kill a man. Some walk away, but others can’t live with it, so it is very hard to deal with. very, very hard to deal with.

Max Walker (online)

Hang them….people looking at jail as a change of living conditions and not punishment.

Annie Williams – hairstylist

We need to bring back hanging, because people are getting away with too much. Killings and other violent crime keep happening and nobody is doing anything about it. All they doing is wasting taxpayers’ money and come back out and it is really for our ladies right now. Even if a lady does something, it doesn’t give a man the right to kill, I don’t think it is right.

Jim Coleman (online)

Much more effective criminal justice system.

Elvis John – coconut vendor

For those things to stop, you have to have love. You have to cooperate and put things in place. Those things will not stop though, it kinda hard to stop those things. Everybody checks for themselves. If somebody does me something, I might take it and I might leave it so, but others not doing that.

Omoro Koppa Alleyne (online):

Vincentians are becoming a more violent in nature. We see it on the streets every day as persons speak violently to each other for the simplest of reasons and we pass it off as nothing. We need to curb our violent manner of conflict resolution in general and be more loving. We need to show more support for women and give them more freedom (most relationships are like prison sentences). We don’t see women being allowed to socialize outside of their everyday relationships, which I think can help to build trust and help persons to really appreciate their relationships more.

Vanessa Demirciyan – Director of Alliance Francaise

I think the most that can be done is to prepare a proper response for women who are the victims, because without a proper response, there is never going to be fear from those committing the violent acts. If they think that it is something that they can do and not be punished for it, then they will never stop. So we need better prevention – need better prevention and better support for women also. I do think, unfortunately, that violence is something that we find in every society; people are hearing about it more and are starting to react. It, however, starts with the children and we need to teach them.

Go to www.facebook.com/Searchlight1 to see more responses and to have your say.