According to the director of the Department of Women's Affairs in St-George's, Grenada, there are no specific procedures provided by the legal system for a woman to charge her spouse with assault (5 July 1993). The source stated that there is no provision in the Grenadian law that specifies what punishment is to be applied for domestic violence against women (Ibid.). This information was corroborated by a representative of the High Commission for Grenada in Ottawa, who added that there is no legislation which deals with domestic violence against women (5 July 1992).

Information on the procedure a person would follow to bring criminal charges against another is contained in the Response to Information Request GRD14704 of 6 July 1993 available at your Documentation Centre.

The U.S Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1992 reports that
... violence against women in Grenada is common and that most cases of spouse abuse go unreported to police authorities. ... The police confirm that most cases of alleged abuses are not reported and others are settled out of court. Grenadian law stipulates a sentence of 15 years' imprisonment for a conviction of rape. Sentences against a
spouse vary according to the severity of the incident (1993, 406).

The director of the Department of Women's Affairs reported that the police are often reluctant to intervene to assist women who are victims of domestic violence (5 July 1993). The source stated that victims of domestc violence are often unwilling to pursue the complaint in court; they quite often drop the case, or they neglect to pursue any legal action against the offender (Ibid.). The same source added that women, when pursuing claims of domestic violence against their spouse or a member of their family, are often intimidated by their own family and the members of their community (Ibid.).

There are a number of non-governmental organizations to assist victims of spousal abuse (Ibid.). Among them there are two legal aid agencies (Ibid.). These agencies have lawyers who volonteer to represent women in such abusive situations (Ibid.). There is also a `crisis hotline' (Ibid.).

Additional and/or corroborative information on the requested subject could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1992. 1993. U.S. Department of State. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Department of Women's Affairs, St-George's, Grenada. 5 July 1992. Telephone Interview with Director.

High Commission for Grenada, Ottawa. 5 July 1993. Telephone Interview with Representative.