By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A DESPERATE mother of four considered suicide after struggling to get help for herself and her children following domestic violence, according to Khandi Gibson, president of Families of All Murder Victims (FOAM).

Ms Gibson told The Tribune yesterday that the woman came to her office this week pleading for assistance. She had previously stayed at FOAM’s mini shelter about two years ago but was now in urgent need of a safe place for her young children. The woman initially sent her a phone message asking for her but then later came to the FOAM office in person.

“I really need help before my life take away from my kids,” the victim wrote in a phone message.

Ms Gibson described the woman’s vulnerable state, saying she had visited several police stations to report the abuse but felt no one was taking her seriously.

“The woman said, ‘Miss I try everybody, but nobody will help me’,” Ms Gibson recalled.

“She came there with her children. Even if I didn’t have a space, I would have to find space and thank God I had a room available.”

Ms Gibson said people usually reach out to non-profit organisations only after exhausting all other options. She said the mother’s struggle reflects the reality faced by many others in similar situations.

The mother-of-four was able to secure a safe place to stay, but she still requires counselling to address the trauma she has endured.

Ms Gibson said suicide and mental health are still not taken seriously enough in the country and called for more support for victims and children fighting to survive.

Alicia Wallace, director of Equality Bahamas, told The Tribune her organisation also frequently assists survivors in making police reports, seeing doctors, obtaining protection orders, and finding temporary safe housing.

“We have had to appeal to members of the public in people our own networks for assistance, knowing that lack of funds could quickly lead to people going back into dangerous situations which could lead to their deaths,” Ms Wallace said.

She stressed that no government should claim it has no resources to support people fleeing for their lives or that Social Services should turn them away due to unavailable housing. Ms Wallace highlighted the urgent need for more shelters and called for action to stabilise the housing market so residents can access safe, secure housing.

She also suggested addressing the rise of short-term rentals and said the government should consider agreements with private entities, including hotels, to ensure options are available even when shelters are full.

Ms Wallace described how the inaccessibility of resources to support survivors through reporting and navigating the justice system can be traumatic and demoralising, often forcing them back into life-threatening situations.