Grieving family of domestic violence fatality speaks out, female legislators urged to act
Scenes from a gathering in Road Town to observe the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Monty. Scenes from a gathering in Road Town to observe the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Monty. Scenes from a gathering in Road Town to observe the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Monty. Scenes from a gathering in Road Town to observe the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Monty. Scenes from a gathering in Road Town to observe the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Monty.
The grieving family of domestic violence fatality wants other victims to speak out and get help before it’s too late.
“We are still in the grieving process. The Family Support Network (FSN) didn’t mean anything to us before August 2018. But now it means something because we lost Regina Powell to domestic violence,” a Powell-family spokesperson said.
The spokesperson was at the time addressing a small gathering at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month on Tuesday.
She continued: “I am simply saying, if you see it, report it. If you are going through it, report it. There is nothing to be ashamed of. It is not your fault that someone is coward enough to abuse you. So please do not take it by yourself and the age doesn’t matter. We wished that Regina had actually reached out to us and reached out to FSN because if she did, we would still have her here with us today.”
According to US Virgin Islands media, Powell, who lived in St Thomas, USVI and has ties to the British Virgin Islands, was killed by a blunt force trauma to the head in August 2018.
Following their investigations, police arrested and charged her boyfriend with the slaying.
Soft sentences a concern locally
In the meantime, concerns over the somewhat weak penalties for domestic violence-related crimes are being expressed locally.
Addressing the issue, outspoken resident and Cindy Rosan-Jones took to social media urging female lawmakers such as Junior Minister for Tourism Shereen Flax-Charles to “show up and show out”.
Jones referred to the recent sentence of Vincentian Lennox Da Silva who was given a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence for killing his wife – Sherika Nelson-Da Silva – at their Greenland apartment roughly two years ago.
“With verdicts like these from female judges, progress is rendered useless. With the lack of our elected female voices, efforts are rendered useless. Women must step up for women. Verdicts like this shouldn’t go unchallenged. Today it’s her. But tomorrow it’s you, me, our daughters. These are the times I call on the women we voted for to show up. Why are they so silent?! I call on the entire woman population/movement of the BVI to stand with this young lady’s family and fight for justice for her. This was not justice. Let your voices be worth something this domestic violence awareness month,” Rosan-Jones said.
“At the start of the 2019 Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I would like to re-draw attention this hideous and outrageous judgement that has thrown us back some 100 years. Over the past month. I’ve read so many incidences of domestic violence leading to death across the Caribbean and world on a whole. It saddens me,” she added.
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If these tortola woman will keep from these islandman them wont be in these types of situations
Most if not all of your blogs are negative and directed to “Island People/Man/Woman” (I guess that includes you too).
Are you now suggesting that Tortola men don’t kill or even so commit acts of violence to their Tortola women? Bravo!!! Yeah for the Tortola Man them. Hmmm, you need a rude awakening, I am very sure you are aware that this type of behavior is very prevalent among Tortola men too.
On a serious note, you really need to stop with these foolish comments and offer good solid advice that will benefit everyone affected by domestic violence. We are one Caribbean people! Bless.
Sons of the soil are not better!
Go crawl back ?
Not when them island man so sweet you have to taste and see .they just extra
I agree Cindy! This was a travesty! Imagine a local youngster stole a TV and got 2 years and a St. Vincentian man killed his wife and got 6 years.
Clear indication that these island people Judges are against the local people.
I agree, the down Island judge is going to look out for their down Island folks. Two years for a damn TV and a brute that carve up and kill his wife get a F**king 6 year pass sitting back getting 3 squares a cot and free everything on my dime.
Well she did set the man up to get robbed and kill in Jamaica. Soooooo yea bummer.
Where’s the proof that she set him up? Was there actual proof beside the murderer saying she did it? And how does that justify him cutting her throat in front of their children? Who is looking after those children now? Not their mother and not their father. What about who is helping those children get past what he did in front of them. If you think there was justice done for some hear say, then you are very low on the human scale my dear. Hope no one makes a decision about you in this manner.
I was getting real into this Post until that lady decided to call out Jr. Minister of Tourism.
I do apologize for venting, but her motives seems personal. Why not go face to face, verbatim for verbatim.
Tortola men will curse you out but they donot chop,hack up women or toss women off balconies.
For your information. Cursing your woman out is also a form of domestic abuse “it is call verbal abuse” that is the form that demoralizes you.
All I have to say to you is You better stay in your lane and leave Ms. FLAX ALONE. SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU HAVE A PERSONAL VENDETTA AGAINST MS.FLAX. OH,YOU HATING AND BEING SALTY BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO BE IN THE POSITION SHE IS IN AND YOU FAILED. JUST STAY IN YOUR LANE AND DON’T SWERVE IN MS.FLAX LANE WITH THE SALTY STUPID SHADING.
You keep pooking at a humble Liones, that humble Liones will eat you alive. Stop trying to shade Ms.Flax.
OK women we understand just take speedys over to VG we VG men here to help tola women! Dont take the plane down island now…….. just 30mins away and you will be fine!
some of you all tortola men are very disrespectful and very verbally abusive. This is coming from a French st martin woman. I was very surprised .was in a relationship
It doesn’t matter what nationality a man or woman belongs to in order to become abusers. Domestic violence does not discriminate against gender or class. I am a child of domestic violence, and my father preached in the pulpit every Sunday. He was also respected by his community because no one knew what went on behind closed doors.
It wasn’t until I became a Psychotherapist and looked back on the hell I lived in, I was able to fully diagnosed his behavior. Domestic violence affects the whole family and can have life long damaging effects on children. It is not a joke to be taken lightly. But for the Grace of God.