Domestic and Sexual Violence Complaints and Response Protocol

Brief Description

In 2018, the development of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Complaints and Response Protocol was a significant achievement which was made possible through the Government of St. Christopher and Nevis, in partnership with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the UN Women. The Department of Gender Affairs has responsibility for the protocol, which formally sets out the roles and responsibilities of the key agencies involved in service provision. The protocol was officially launched in November 2018. The Protocol is a rights based approach to gender based violence and is reference document and resource tool involving the coordinated response of the agencies involved. 

The main aims of this protocol are:
- Improve domestic violence programmes and enhance support for them by identifying and promoting best practice.
- Provision of information to complainants and reduce duplication of effort between agencies.

The forms of domestic violence contained within the Protocol include: Violence (physical harm, sexual or psychological suffering), threats of violence, coercion, arbitrary deprivation of liberty, molestation, conduct of an offensive or harassing nature, conduct which amounts to psychological abuse, intimidation or persecution; and financial abuse.