Good morning.
There are some issues that you don’t need a report to understand.
You feel them.
You see them—sometimes in the stories people are brave enough to tell.
Breaking the silence they’re forced to keep.
Domestic violence is one of those issues.
It’s not something that lives in headlines. It lives in our homes, in our communities, in too many quiet corners where people feel afraid, alone, and unsure if anyone will help.
Today, we take a step forward—not a fix, not a finish line, but a real step—in saying to the people who are hurting: we’re here, and we’re doing something about it.
The new Domestic Violence Unit of the Royal Bahamas Police Force is part of a commitment to respond differently. To do better. And to care more.
This unit wasn’t created for statistics or for press releases. It was created for that woman who has packed and unpacked her bag a dozen times, trying to find the right moment to leave.
It was created for the child who flinches at raised voices, because they’ve learned what comes next.
It was created for the neighbour who’s heard the yelling through the wall and wondered whether to knock or stay quiet.
We are not pretending this Unit is the solution to everything. But we are saying that this is a country where your safety matters, your voice matters, and your pain will no longer be ignored.
This unit will be staffed by officers who have received specialist training—training not only in handling sensitive cases, but in how to respond with empathy, urgency, and care.
They will work hand-in-hand with social workers, shelters, and other partners so that survivors don’t have to repeat their stories over and over, or feel like they’re navigating the system alone.
And they will be held to a high standard—because the trust of survivors is something we must earn, and never take for granted.
This Unit is part of a broader strategy. It links to legislative reform, to increased support for shelters and safe housing, and to education that helps us prevent violence before it starts.
But today isn’t about systems alone. It’s about people.
I’ve spoken to survivors. I’ve sat with women who’ve told me about the years they spent trying to smile through their pain—who stayed, not because they didn’t want to leave, but because they didn’t know if anyone would help them when they did.
And I’ve heard from officers—good officers—who said they wanted to help but weren’t always sure what steps to take, or whether the support system was in place for them to act.
So we’re fixing that. Quietly. Carefully. Deliberately.
Because we owe it to the people who trusted us once—and were let down—to make sure that never happens again.
I want to speak directly to anyone who’s living with abuse right now.
I don’t know your name, or your story. But I do know this:
You are not invisible.
And you are not alone.
There is help. There is support. And now, there is a unit, a team, and a government that is working every day to make it easier and safer for you to reach out.
To those who say nothing can really change—I understand the scepticism.
But let this Unit be a reminder: people are listening. The culture is shifting. And the institutions are catching up.
To the officers who will staff this Unit: you carry the hopes of many. You will meet people at their most vulnerable. You may be their first encounter with justice, or their last chance at hope.
Treat them with care. Serve with pride. And know that you are doing something profoundly important.
To the First Lady, Anne Marie, whose advocacy sparked the flame for this unit. To the advocates and organisations who’ve carried this burden for years—without recognition, without adequate funding, and often without sleep—thank you.
You’ve been doing the hard work while the rest of us were just waking up to the reality. We’re here now because of you.
And to the people of The Bahamas—this is not someone else’s issue.
This is about our sisters, our daughters, our sons, our neighbours. It’s about whether we are a country that looks away, or a country that shows up.
Let’s show up.
Let’s make it known—through our words, through our systems, through our culture—that abuse has no home here.
Let us be brave enough to talk about it, wise enough to prevent it, and strong enough to stop it.
Because in the end, the mark of a good society is not how it treats the powerful—but how it protects the vulnerable.
Thank you.
May God bless you. And may He bless the work of every person who walks through the doors of this new Unit—seeking help, offering help, or building something better.