Video: Minister Furbert & Minister Wilkerson
[Updated] Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors Tinee Furbert and Attorney General and Minister of Justice Senator Kim Wilkerson are holding a joint press conference this morning [Oct 27] to highlight key initiatives aimed at preventing and addressing domestic abuse. We will have additional coverage later on and in the meantime the live video is below.
Update 2.50pm: Minister Furbert’s remarks:
Good morning, everyone.
October is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, a time when we unite as a community to reflect, to act, and to recommit ourselves to ending domestic violence in all its forms. Domestic abuse is an issue that transcends gender, age, and background. It occurs behind closed doors, across neighbourhoods, and sometimes, tragically, in public. It affects families, friendships, workplaces, and most painfully, it affects our children.
Imagine a child awoken from their sleep at night to hear fighting and screaming, not knowing whether their parent will make it out of that fight dead or alive. Imagine a child shouting “stop it, you’re hurting my mom” or “stop it you’re hurting my dad. Their request is they want it all to just go away, all to stop! Why? Because it really does hurt, when hurtful behavior cannot be controlled or calmed, it teaches children and people how to act and how to behave and this is the vicious cycle of destruction.
We do know behaviors of domestic abuse can be changed, can be reversed, and can be stopped. This is the impact we want! This is the story of recovery we want for our community. We must ensure that no child grows up believing that this cycle is normal.
Since 2021, the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors has prioritised supporting victims and survivors through meaningful action. For 2025/26 financial year, the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors has allocated $150,000 for Centre Against Abuse and $75,000 for HOME to support the Transformational Living Centre programme for mothers and children, previously provided through the Women’s Resource Centre, providing essential services to those impacted by domestic abuse. These funds have helped to ensure that assistance is available when and where it is needed most.
We also recognise the need for immediate financial relief for victims escaping abusive situations. Through The Department of Financial Assistance, the Short- Term Relief Benefit Act 2024 was legislated to provide temporary support to individuals and families to secure safety and stability while longer-term solutions are arranged. Although this allowance is being reviewed for improvement, it continues to play a vital role in helping domestic abuse survivors rebuild their lives.
But our work does not stop at responding to harm after it occurs. We must also focus on prevention and rehabilitation. That is why the Ministry has committed to the introduction of Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Services, designed to provide intervention and treatment to individuals who have used violence or control within intimate relationships.
In 2022, SafeLives UK, a charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, conducted a comprehensive review of Bermuda’s domestic abuse landscape using a public health approach. Their findings made clear that, to truly break the cycle of violence, our response must address not only the needs of victims but also the behaviours of perpetrators.
Following those recommendations, we issued a Request for Information last year, and through the collaborative work of the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference, or MARAC, two service providers, Arius Solutions and MASC, were selected to participate in delivering these vital programmes.
The new initiative, which will launch in autumn 2025, will begin with Arius Solutions offering its Abusive Perpetrators Evolving to Change Programme. This twenty-six week intervention combines education, accountability, and behavioural therapy to promote real, sustained change. By addressing the root causes of abusive behaviour, we can foster rehabilitation, support families, and ultimately, create safer homes and communities.
The Ministry has allocated $200,000 for the first year of implementation, ensuring that these services are accessible, monitored, and evaluated through clear performance indicators. This investment represents not only a financial commitment but also a moral one…to hold offenders accountable while offering them a pathway towards change.
Alongside these developments, the MARAC Committee has worked diligently to frame Bermuda’s Five-Year Domestic Abuse Strategic Plan. This plan, grounded in the recommendations from SafeLives, represents a truly national effort involving government agencies, community organisations, and advocacy partners such as the Centre Against Abuse, the Women’s Resource Centre, and One Love.
The plan is structured around six priorities:
- 1. Multi-agency collaboration and governance
- 2. Risk assessment and early intervention
- 3. Support services for survivors
- 4. Accountability and rehabilitation for perpetrators
- 5. Awareness, education, and community engagement
- 6. Data collection and monitoring
In the coming weeks, we will share a draft Strategic Plan through the Government’s Citizen Forum website for consultation. We encourage members of the public and stakeholders alike to share their perspectives, ensuring the plan reflects the needs and voices of citizens of Bermuda.
From the beginning, our approach has been guided by collaboration…between ministries, agencies, and community partners. Domestic abuse is not a single- department issue; it is a whole-of-society challenge that demands shared responsibility and coordinated action.
As we mark Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, I wish to acknowledge the courage of survivors, the dedication of service providers, and the commitment of our partners. Together, we are building a system that not only responds to violence but works to prevent it…one that fosters healing, accountability, and hope.
Let us continue to stand together…to speak out, to support, and to strengthen the fabric of our community…until domestic abuse has no place in Bermuda.
Thank you.
Minister Wilkerson’s remarks:
Thank you Minister Furbert and good morning everyone.
I want to begin by acknowledging how important it is that we come together publicly to talk about domestic abuse. This is not an easy subject. It is deeply personal, and for too many people, it is a painful reality they are living with right now. But that is exactly why we must continue to bring it into the open.
This month gives us the opportunity to shine a light on an issue that I believe, quite frankly, has lived in the shadows for too long. We are here not only to raise awareness but to show that this government is taking deliberate, practical steps to strengthen how Bermuda responds to domestic abuse.
For me, this issue goes well beyond my role as Attorney General. Yes, my Ministry is responsible for legislation and justice policy, but I also know the human cost of domestic abuse is felt long before anyone enters a courtroom. It affects children, families, entire communities. Our response must be both compassionate and coordinated, and informed by those who experience it.
Earlier this year, we took an important step in that direction with the creation of the Domestic Abuse Reform Steering Committee, or DARSC – a robust cross-ministry, cross-department initiative.
Let me make it clear that this is not just another government committee. Rather, it is a group of senior people from across the justice system, social services, the Bermuda Police Service, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Financial Assistance, Department of Child and Family Services and other agencies who are working together with one clear purpose: to strengthen how Bermuda prevents, responds to, and ultimately reduces domestic abuse.
This committee has been structured around two working groups, one looking closely at the legal and procedural side, and the other focused on social services, housing, health, and community education. That combination matters. It means we’re not only looking at how the system responds after harm is done, but how we can make it easier for victims to access help and for families to rebuild their lives.
Some of the key areas they’re already focused on include developing new legislative proposals, including potential changes to the Criminal Code and the creation of a Domestic Abuse Act as well as changes to the Financial Assistance regulations to close the gaps where victim- survivors are left without resources.
They are looking at how we can strengthen protection for victims and witnesses, and how domestic abuse cases are handled in family court, especially when children are involved. They are also working to improve coordination between agencies so that when someone comes forward for help, they aren’t left to navigate the system on their own.
We also want to expand treatment programmes for offenders and training for the professionals who interact with victims and families. Because responding effectively is not just about laws.
It is also about people, about building trust and ensuring that when victims do seek help, they are met with understanding and action.
This work is closely connected to the 5-Year Domestic Abuse Strategic Plan, which Minister Furbert has spoken about. The research behind the Strategic Plan established the necessity of this Committee. It is intended to reduce silos so that we can get every single Government resource on the same page at the same time to ensure a continuum of care – from support through legal proceedings to healthcare, from financial assistance to housing support. Domestic abuse is a complex cultural issue within Bermuda – far too many families are affected and as we confront the problems of national violence, we must understand that domestic abuse is one root cause. Addressing the origins and providing support means we not only help a family in immediate crisis, but prevent further harm being inflicted on our community in the future.
I want to acknowledge the dedication of our community partners, including the Women’s Resource Centre and the Centre Against Abuse, who have long been on the front lines of this issue. Their input has helped to shape the direction of this work, and their continued partnership will be essential to its success.
We are also making progress on establishing a dedicated Domestic Violence Court. This is an important development that will ensure these cases are handled more sensitively and more efficiently, and that victims receive timely support and fast-tracked trials.
All of this matters because behind every statistic, every policy, and every piece of legislation, there are real people. There are women and men who have endured harm, and children who have witnessed it. There are families trying to rebuild from the ashes of immediate and generational trauma.
This is why I am so personally invested in this issue. Domestic abuse is not something we can accept as inevitable. It is something we must confront, together, with urgency and purpose.
October is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, but our work will not end when the month does. And so, this is a long-term commitment. It will take sustained effort from government, from community partners, and from the public. And if we do this well, we will help create a safer, more supportive Bermuda for everyone.
Thank you.
