By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Christian Council has spoken out against escalating domestic violence in the country, saying it is “outraged” by the “unconscionable domestic abuse and attempted murder” of a woman caught on CCTV this week.

 In a statement yesterday, the BCC said it is “angry at this brutal act of violence against a woman and child.”

The religious group called on domestic abusers to walk away in the heat of the moment and seek professional help for their anger instead of causing harm to others. The council also urged victims of domestic violence to seek help from the Crisis Centre or a nearby church.

“As we continue to find our footing from one crisis after another crisis, our society is scorched with the escalating acts of domestic violence in our nation. The Bahamas Christian Council is again outraged by the gruesome and unconscionable domestic abuse and attempted murder recorded on a security camera video being circulated on social media,” the statement read.

“As a community of Christian leaders advocates, the Bahamas Christian Council is angry at this brutal act of violence against a woman and a child and see this as a sign of the depravity that humanity has sunk in recent times. We are grieved that our nation is seemingly spiralling out of control at such an alarming rate in which these incidents have been occurring. We call upon our citizenry to seek peaceful resolutions to their conflicts and seek intervention to assist in diffusing relational feuds. We must value the dignity and life of others. We are mindful of the growing number of victims of domestic violence who suffer daily under the brutality of others. “We appeal to them to seek the help needed to address their issues.”

The video in question shows a woman, who was holding a young child, being dragged towards a car by a man she knows before she falls to the ground and is attacked in the street.

Bystanders intervened to stop the assault, with one eventually removing the child from the woman’s arms. The man drove off in his car only to return a short time later to run the woman over with his speeding vehicle. She was also dragged a short distance by the car.

 The victim, who is in her 30s, remains in hospital in critical condition.

 The incident took place on Monday on Key West Street. The suspect—who tried to flee the scene after his car overturned on hitting a parked car—was subdued by bystanders and later taken into police custody.

 Police have said the incident was a domestic assault. However, last night police could not confirm the specific nature of the relationship and whether the man is her boyfriend or ex-boyfriend.

 Meanwhile the BCC said abusers need to seek professional help to refrain from causing harm to others and themselves.

 “We plead with abusers and those who are prone to outburst of uncontrollable anger, to peacefully walk away in the heat of the moment and seek professional assistance to dismantle the internal rage within. We admonish them to actively work on preventing their emotional state from causing damage to others as well as themselves.”

 The council also said the nation must take collective responsibility for the things that occur in our communities and be an example to others by displaying harmonious relationships.

 “As a nation, we must challenge ourselves to be more collectively involved in taking responsibility for the things that occur within our very own communities and by being an example to others in demonstrating harmonious relationships.”

 The religious group said it was happy to learn that the Crisis Centre is now fully open for in-person sessions, having been temporarily closed due to COVID-19. It was also noted there are a number of churches that are also available to those persons needing to speak to someone.

 The victim in Monday’s assault lived in the area in which she was attacked, police said.