There have been over 552 reported cases of sexual offences in Trinidad and Tobago for the year with women making up the majority of the cases. Of these reported cases, 92 have been rape.
Speaking at a public education and information fair at City Gate, Port-of-Spain, which commemorated the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister Ayanna Webster-Roy revealed the figures citing official police statistics.
But the issue of gender-based violence against women is not isolated to T&T only as she also cited World Health Organisation statistics which show that one in three women around the world will experience some form of gender based violence in her lifetime.
According to the Trinidad Guardian, she stated that violence against women and girls, is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today adding that regrettably, it remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.