Minister with responsibility for Gender and Child Affairs, Ayanna Webster-Roy, is calling for a united effort to deal with domestic violence and child abuse.

Her statement follows the murder of 34-year-old Tara Ramsaroop and her one-year-old daughter Jada in Barrackpore this morning.

In a statement, Mrs Webster-Roy says all acts of violence against women and children are preventable.

She is urging individuals and families to seek out essential services at the first sign of distress, adding that persons should not wait to reach out since it may never get better.

The Minister says support services will be provided to affected family members, and that she was working with stakeholders to ensure the care and well-being of another of the victim’s children, an 8-year-old boy, who was secured by the TTPS.

The following hotlines are available for persons in need:

• TTPS: 999
• CHILDREN’S AUTHORITY HOTLINE: 996 or 800-2014
• CHILDLINE: 131 or 800-4321
• NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE: 800-SAVE (7283)
• NATIONAL FAMILY SERVICES DIVISION: 623-2608 (ext. 6701 to 6715)