In the coming months, a nationwide rollout of a 24-hour emergency response team known as the Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team (DVERT) will be implemented.
This emergency response team will provide immediate assistance to high-risk family violence cases, working in collaboration with the police.
Enhanced Powers for DVERT Officers in 2024
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With the passing of the Women’s Charter (Family Violence and Other Matters) Amendment Bill in 2023, DVERT officers will be granted more powers when the legislation comes into effect in 2024, according to Ms Tabitha Ong from MSF.
These enhanced powers include the ability to issue an Emergency Order at the scene in high-risk situations, serving as an immediate safeguard for the victims and preventing further violence.
The Emergency Order can incorporate one or more of the following orders:
- A Domestic Exclusion Order, restricting the perpetrator from being at home to ensure the victim’s safety.
- A Stay Away Order, prohibiting the perpetrator from entering or remaining in places the victim frequents, such as the workplace or a childcare centre.
- A No Contact Order, preventing the perpetrator from visiting or communicating with the victim.
Ms Ong explained how the Emergency Order serves as a temporary safeguard until a court issues a Personal Protection Order to restrain a person from committing family violence.
The authorities can arrest the perpetrator if they commit another act of violence, breaching the Emergency Order.
The new Bill allows for a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to 18 months, or both for those convicted of aggravated family violence.
Phase One of DVERT’s Operation
The first phase of DVERT began in April 2023, focusing on areas under the Ang Mo Kio Police Division, such as Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon, and Sengkang. The emergency response team, made up of Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) staff trained in social work and psychology, operates in 12-hour shifts.
This approach strengthens emergency response to high-risk family violence cases, according to Ong.
From April to December 2023, this emergency response team attended to 119 households, most of which involved a physically abused spouse.
DVERT: A Vital Step in Addressing Family Violence
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In 2021, the Taskforce on Family Violence suggested creating DVERT as one of 16 recommendations to better protect and support family violence victims.
When a high-risk report comes in, the response team immediately responds. Collaborating with police, DVERT officers promptly assess the situation and guide the victim to necessary services or a crisis shelter if needed.
The Impact of the Emergency Response Team’s Training
DVERT officers undergo specialized training, enabling them to acquire essential information from victims using different techniques. For instance, Ms Tessa Tay, a DVERT officer, recalled a situation where they gently persuaded a scared mother and her daughter to disclose information about their abusive husband and father.
Subsequently, the officers took action. They sent the man to the Institute of Mental Health for a psychiatric evaluation and devised a plan to secure the family’s safety.
Critical Role of the Emergency Response Team
Mr Martin Chok, deputy director of family and community services at social service agency Care Corner Singapore, emphasized the crucial role of DVERT.
He pointed out that without the emergency response team, the police would have to refer the case to a Protection Specialist Centre, a process that could take one or two days. “Time is of the absolute importance here as it could be a matter of life and death,” he said.
Real-life Impact of the Emergency Response Team
DVERT officer, Ms Tessa Tay, shared a memorable case where a woman fled from her husband’s van after he hit her. The woman was prevented from contacting her family as her husband kept her phone and controlled her finances. The emergency response team took the woman to a crisis shelter and worked on a plan to keep her safe while referring her to a Protection Specialist Centre.
Ensuring Safety and Support
The emergency response team also referred the case to the Child Protective Service to ensure the children’s safety and to a Protection Specialist Centre to address issues related to the abuse.
Chok said police sometimes did not arrest abusers because the abuse was not an arrestable offence. But with DVERT officers present, victims feel heard.
He mentioned a case where a son pushed his elderly parents downstairs. The emergency team sent the case to Care Corner Project StART. While police investigated the son, the parents learned how to stay safe.
The Vital Role of the Emergency Response Team
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