Protection Against Violence Act a ‘first step’ in the right direction, says Butler-Turner

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FORMER parliamentarian Loretta Butler-Turner said the Protection Against Violence Bill is the “first step” in the right direction. She hoped the government would tighten “loopholes” in the legislation.

“I am definitely in support of it as of now,” she said on Saturday. “But I do not want us to dismiss any oversights that may not have been captured in it. It is definitely a first step. I believe that as we begin to enact it and use it, we may in fact, find that there are areas that need to be dealt with. The nomenclature for me is not as important as the law.”

Mrs Butler-Turner, the former leader of the Offical Opposition in the House of Assembly, echoed the Davis administration in saying the legislation would now cover everyone who is a victim of violence –– rather than only targeting women and children.

“When we say genderbased violence, we know that most of the victims are women and children,” she said. “However, the way that they have phrased it now and the way that it’s framed in the bill, it will cover everyone. And there are, in fact, other pieces of legislation that give protection to domestic violence in particular.”

Despite several women’s groups opposing the bill, the Protection Against Violence Bill has passed Parliament. Mrs Butler-Turner said renaming the bill made it more inclusive.

“I think that while you might have some voices that are saying they prefer it to be called gender-based violence, we are advocates for gender equality; we are advocates for removing gender-based violence. But I think that the law as it’s now presented will not just be biased towards women and maybe children,” she said.

“But I would commend the government for moving forward with this piece. And hopefully, if there are any loopholes that need to be tightened, they would not be dismissive in moving forward.”

The former Long Island MP acknowledged the concerns about the revised bill, adding that a “common ground” must be met somehow.

84-YEAR-OLD WOMAN DIES IN CAR CRASH IN GRAND BAHAMA

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

An 84-year-old Grand Bahama woman died in hospital on Sunday after a two-car collision on Saturday.

Although police have not confirmed the woman’s identity, The Tribune understands she is Joyce Evans, of Abaco Drive, Hawksbill.

The second victim, a male driver taken to the hospital, was treated and discharged.

According to reports, the accident happened around 1pm on East Mall Drive involving a grey-coloured

Honda Accord driven by the deceased and a blackcoloured Chevrolet Cruz driven by a man.

Preliminary reports indicate that the Honda Accord was travelling south along East Mall, and the driver of the black Chevrolet Cruz was north along East Mall when the two collided.

Fire officials were called to the scene to extricate the woman trapped in the vehicle using the Jaws of Life.

Both drivers sustained severe injuries and were taken to the Rand Memorial Hospital, where the woman died of her injuries on Sunday.

TRAFFIC fatality victim, Joyce Evans

Lisa Bostwick-Dean, vice-president of Women United, told The Tribune last week that women’s rights advocates would discuss their concerns with government officials about the Protection Against Violence Bill in a bid to amend the legislation.

In 2021, Mrs ButlerTurner became the Davis administration’s newly appointed consultant to the Small Business Development Centre.

Protection Against Violence Bill, see letters