WOMAN BEATERS PUT ON NOTICE — HANDS OFF!

Women beaters have been put on notice – the days of domestic violence matters being treated lightly by the courts are over.

And to reinforce the point, one man who stabbed his former girlfriend in the back and head was jailed for 18 months, while another, who threatened to kill his former girlfriend the way a woman was stabbed last week, was further remanded to HMP Dodds.

Magistrate Pamela Beckles issued the warning as she dealt with the two men in the District "A" Magistrates' Court Wednesday.

They were two of four men during the week, who were sent to prison after appearing on charges relating to their former girlfriends.

Magistrate Beckles said parties, both men and women, had to accept that when a relationship was over, it was over.

"We are not saying it is not going to be painful, but you give yourself time to grieve," she said.

"I am not going to let people feel that matters of a domestic nature are going to be treated lightly by the courts," the magistrate said.

Earlier in the week, she referred to the 2007 case of two estranged homosexual lovers – one of whom was charged with threatening the other.

She said they had assured her that everything was over and they were willing to go their separate ways but a few days later she read that one had killed the other.

"Once bitten, twice shy," she said.

The first two men who appeared on Monday were charged with kidnapping and rape, and assault, threats and burglary.

The magistrate had further said the courts must take judicial notice of what was going on in society and she was concerned about the incident involving a young woman who was killed by a man who had been stalking her.

She also urged women to be clear about ending a relationship after one man said his former girlfriend told him she wanted "a week or two by myself."

On Wednesday, former chairman of the Child Care Board, David "Joey" Harper, called for men, who might be potential abusers, to be counselled.

He also bemoaned the "casual way in which women were killed in Barbados."

(Barbados Nation)