Transcript
GIFF JOHNSON - Domestic violence has been documented as such a serious problem in the Marshall Islands for so many years that we're finally starting to see how women coming forward to the courts to get protection and this is resolving mainly from two things. One is that the high court in the last couple of years has made access to the court much easier for people generally, but also for victims of domestic violence by making the process for getting a temporary protection order and administrative one where you don't actually need a lawyer in order to get them to see a judge, so by streamlining that process it obviously sends a message to women that the courts are open to help them and they are and there's an increasing number going in to get help and secondly, the National Women's Organisation here has been very active in support services for women who are victims of domestic violence and that's also helping to create an environment where women feel empowered to step up, come forward in cases like this.
SELA JANE HOPGOOD - It's a temporary protection order, so how long is temporary for these women?
GJ - Normally the temporary protection orders issued by the judges here in the high court are somewhere like 3 to 4 weeks depending and there's always a hearing set to consider whether to dismiss it or to extend it to become what they call a permanent protection order, which would simply end up terminating whatever relationship there was between the two people and only very occasionally do women seek a permanent protection order. Generally it seems like they use the process to maybe wake up their partners or to you know like get some relieve, but often then say they reconciling and do go back to their partner.
SJH - I see there was a case of a father, daughter domestic violence situation, would that be a similar situation? That seems a bit tricky...
GJ - I would say that kind of a case is fairly unusual. Generally the domestic violence cases here are husband, wife or boyfriend, girlfriend and there are so many levels of domestic violence here. You know the Marshall Islands is unique in this aspect because it has been very well documented in a number of surveys and it's just a pervasive factor that in the society and it's kind of getting out in the open more now and women coming forward is a really important part of that because it puts these things on the table and it says that it is okay for women to get help. You know, you don't have to be in a relationship where you're getting beaten up all the time and accept it.
SJH - The women who are seeking temporary protection order and they take it to court, what is the timeframe from getting that from the judge?
GJ - It's immediate, so they come in, same day they get a hearing. It takes a while to fill out a questionnaire with the court staff and within minutes or if judges are busy, maybe within hours they see a judge. I have not seen any temporary protection hearing that was not the same day. They're all the same day the women come in and that's why it's such an incredible service in terms of opening up access to the courts for the victims of violence.