Mr. Speaker,
Today I rise to share important progress in our fight to end domestic abuse in Bermuda……a fight that affects not just individual families, but the heart of our community.
Mr. Speaker,
Behind every statistic is a person. A woman terrified to speak out. A man suffering in silence. A child caught in the middle. Domestic abuse doesn’t discriminate; it impacts Bermudians of all backgrounds, ages, and genders. And for too long, too many suffered alone.
Recognizing the growing urgency, in the 2022 Throne Speech this Government committed to commissioning a full system review of Bermuda’s response to domestic abuse. We contracted SafeLives UK to examine our services, collect data, listen to survivors and frontline workers, and tell us, honestly, where we were falling short.
Mr. Speaker,
That review gave us a roadmap that has shaped the foundation of Bermuda’s first comprehensive five-year Domestic Abuse Strategy, launched in 2023. From this strategy came 10 priority action items, each focused on turning intent into action and words into safety. Today, I’m proud to update this Honourable House on one of the most important of those actions, support from a Domestic Abuse Specialist.
Mr. Speaker,
In April 2025, the Ministry hired Bermuda’s first certified Domestic Abuse Liaison Social Worker, a specialist with over four years of hands-on experience supporting high-risk victims of abuse. This professional is a lifeline that will walk alongside survivors, offer safety planning, emotional support, and access to services. And they do so with compassion, expertise, and deep understanding.
This Officer is already working closely with the Department of Child and Family Services and the Centre Against Abuse, as well as the Bermuda Police Service, Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), and the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Committee, known as MARAC.
Mr. Speaker,
For the benefit of the public and listening audience:
MARAC is a collaborative safety planning team that brings together key agencies to identify, assess, and protect victims at the highest risk of serious harm. Every week, they meet to share information, develop coordinated responses, and take action together to keep victims safe and hold abusers accountable.
Mr. Speaker,
The new Domestic Abuse Liaison Social Worker has already begun supporting victims who might otherwise have fallen through the cracks. Their work ensures survivors, women and men, don’t have to navigate the system alone.
This is one component of a larger initiative. Work has begun on developing a five-year Domestic Abuse Strategic Plan. Initial consultations with internal stakeholders are underway, and engagement with the broader community will follow. Addressing domestic abuse requires contributions from all sectors.
Because, to truly end domestic abuse, we must all be part of the solution.
Mr. Speaker,
We are committed to building a Bermuda where abuse is not hidden in the shadows, where survivors are supported, not shamed, and where every Bermudian can live free from fear.
In closing, Mr. Speaker,
I thank the dedicated members of the MARAC Committee, who meet every week and work tirelessly to action the key priorities of this strategy. Your efforts are helping to build a safer, fairer Bermuda.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.