The Tribune

AN exhibition at the Mall at Marathon last week brought the stark reality of domestic violence to the public, featuring dramatic depictions of the bondage and fear that victims face.

The Bahamas Crisis Centre Annual Silent Witness Exhibition seeks to raise awareness of the issues of domestic violence and its impact on victims. Volunteers participated and staff from RBC Royal Bank staff were involved as actors, distributed information about the Crisis Centre services.

Formerly known as The Women’s Crisis Centre and opened in 1982, the centre has worked to respond to the needs of those suffering from sexual, physical and psychological abuse. It offers free counselling and services for men, women and children experiencing any form of abuse.

RBC sponsors employee volunteer programmes to reflect and support the critical role its employees play in community building.

Sandra Mackey, administrative officer at RBC Loans Collection Centre, who volunteered to be made up for dramatic effect on the day, said: “Domestic violence is not a family problem, but a societal one. The Crisis Centre Annual Silent Witness Exhibition gave the public an opportunity to learn more about the scale of the domestic violence problem in The Bahamas and the role we all play in addressing this issue. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.”

“RBC is committed to the health and well-being of the communities in which we live and work, said Nathaniel Beneby, managing director of RBC in The Bahamas, Cayman and Turks & Caicos Islands. “Domestic violence affects everyone, particularly in a small community such as ours. Domestic violence can have an impact on the workplace, through absenteeism, loss of productivity and poor morale. But the real victims are the families impacted by the problem. RBC is committed to the fight against violence, domestic and otherwise, which threatens the fabric of our communities.”

For more information about The Bahamas Crisis Centre visit www.bahamascrisiscentre.org. The 24-hour hotline is 328-0922.