Safe Haven The situation at Safe Haven, St. Maarten’s shelter for battered women, continues to be of great concern. The board got rid of the director and three other staff members, which in turn angered several of the volunteers and others involved. It commissioned an audit report that it says justifies that move, although some disagree. The shelter has certainly proved its value since it was opened. It not only gave victims of domestic abuse somewhere to go where before they had none, but encouraged many silent victims to do something about their predicaments. The Executive Council’s decision to now cut the monthly subsidy until the foundation is restructured is, of course, better than stopping it altogether, as its departments had advised. It will allow Safe Haven’s daily operations to continue at least to some extent, although there are indications the controversy has seriously affected its important work on behalf of the community. That the recommendations in the audit report must be complied with is obvious, but the lack of a specific timeframe for the board to do so is less welcome. After all, confidence in the board within the community, judging by reactions since the controversy first started, is not exactly at an all-time high. Hopefully the board will prove the sceptics wrong and move quickly to make Safe Haven once again the reputable and extremely valuable organisation it was, particularly to those who need it most. With all the social problems the island faces, losing the battle against domestic abuse is simply not an option. Give us your opinion on this story Post a message on our message board! Click Here! Copyright ©1998-2004 The Daily Herald - Design by Dimitri1010