Domestic Violence Counseling Manual - Hot Peach Pages

issues and domestic violence; they serve the entire Cayo district of 52,564 people (according to the
2001 census). Both institutions are understaffed. Since there is only one officer in each of the Domestic
Violence Units there is no twenty-four hour, let alone seven days a week, service. Likewise, the Women's
Department is operated by one person who works normal office hours five days a week.
The 1992 Domestic Violence Act of Belize defines domestic violence as: “The abuse of any member of a
family by any other family member.” Victims of domestic violence can be someone involved in an
intimate relationship, any family member or a dependent of someone in a family. Under the 1992
Domestic Violence Act of Belize, the following people can apply for help under this act:
• Spouses: Legally married husbands and wives; common-law husbands and wives; Ex-husbands
and wives (including common-law); persons who have produced a child
• Children: A child of a union (common-law or legal); a step-child; an adopted child; a child
being brought up in the home
• Dependents: A person who is over eighteen years of age who, because of physical or mental
disability, relies on another person for his/her welfare
• Parents: a natural parent or grandparent; a step-parent or step-grandparent; an adoptive parent or
grandparent; a guardian; any person who has actual custody of a child
Under the 1992 Domestic Violence Act, these people also have the option to press specific charges of
abuse, to apply for legal protection from their abuser, to log a report of domestic violence (for future
reference and evidence should the matter be taken to court) and/or to receive counseling (though this
service is limited). However, in general women are uninformed about their legal rights and therefore do
not report domestic violence. A woman will often drop the charges or application for protection at a later
date (estimated at ninety nine percent by the San Ignacio Domestic Violence Unit officer). This is due to
a variety of reasons, namely, she is intimidated by the legal process; she is punished by the abuser for
involving the law; she is persuaded by the abuser to drop charges; she does not want to split the family
up.
LEGAL OPTIONS
To get a Protection and/or Occupation Order the woman must prove abuse, fear, and the presence of
mental or physical injury. This is not to say that if she cannot prove these three things, that her situation
is not dangerous, only that she will have to pursue a course of action that doesn’t rely on the judicial
system.
If a request for protection is successfully brought against the perpetrator the court can issue a restraining
order, either a Protection Order or/and an Occupation Order, under the 1992 Domestic Violence Act. It is
possible to issue both types of orders or to issue either for a longer time-period than the usual 12-month
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