Legislation must be introduced to ensure a zero-tolerance approach to domestic violence in memory of murder victim Shakeya DeRoza, according to a chartered psychologist.Susan Adhemar, who has worked in that field for many years, said the perpetrators must face serious negative consequences, including prison time.“We're not being proactive in the manner in which we treat and deal with this problem in our society, and all the agencies work need to work together and adopt a zero-tolerance approach,” she said.“No other women must be allowed to die like this. If we can learn from this tragedy and effect positive change about this serious social problem, then perhaps Shakeya may not have died in vain.“This is the very least we can do in her memory and for others who have died in this terrible manner.”Explaining zero-tolerance, Mrs Adhemar said any type or level of abuse should not be tolerated, meaning the perpetrator could be removed from society at the outset instead of putting women and children in a refuge state and taking them away from their families, or leaving them at risk.“Refuges are not the solution, as they are a reactive measure to domestic violence, and tend to just remove the problem temporarily.“We need to be proactive by introducing policies and legislation that allows agencies to act immediately when a woman becomes at risk.”Mrs Adhemar said the risk is underestimated and rarely considered to be life-threatening, but every case of domestic abuse has that potential.The most dangerous time is when a woman tries to leave, or end the relationship.Ms DeRoza, a prison officer, was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend Jermaine Pearman in July 2009.The couple had a young daughter together but she'd recently ended their three-year relationship after he'd violently attacked her on a number of occasions.According to the evidence in the case, a neighbour once witnessed him punch her in the head while she was pregnant with his daughter.On another occasion he shook her until she lost consciousness.However, the court heard no evidence that Ms DeRoza ever pressed charges against Pearman.Jailing Pearman for life on Monday, Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves described him as “controlling” and “dangerous”.He said he must spend at least 25 years behind bars before he can be considered for parole.Mrs Adhemar declined to discuss that particular case, but said in general terms she does not believe victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse get adequate or appropriate help in Bermuda.“We need to further understand the devastating impact on families, employ effective interventions and programmes for rehabilitating victims and their children.“Programmes for the perpetrators also need to be developed to reduce the long-term risk,” she said.She believes one in three relationships can be classified as abusive, to varying degrees. Incidents are rarely reported, and when they are, Mrs Adhemar is concerned that the outcome rests on the judgement of police officers who may not properly understand the issue.In addition, women are often reluctant to report assaults owing to factors including money, having no place to go, or pressure due to religious beliefs or from family members.“It's up to the subjective interpretation of the person dealing with the scene. We must go for zero-tolerance, which means that even if he raises a hand to her he could lose his freedom,” she said.Mrs Adhemar would like to see Bermuda adopt the approach of other countries such as the UK and Canada where the police can press charges even if the victim does not want to.“Relatively few [cases] come before the court but that doesn't mean it's not common in our society,” she said.However, she stressed there must also be adequate treatment in prisons for perpetrators of domestic violence.She is concerned there is no specific programme available, only an anger management programme.“People think it's about anger management but anger is just about control. It's all about control,” she said. “Anger is a tool that is used to control, it's intimidation and subjugation. And the ultimate control is murder.”Reflecting on public opinion in the aftermath of the Pearman case she said: “It's all very well saying ‘he needs to be hung' but he's a victim too.”Mrs Adhemar explained that many perpetrators of abuse come from dysfunctional family backgrounds with an ineffective/absentee father and a powerful, controlling mother, or the reverse.She said it is up to Bermuda's women to exercise good judgement in this regard.“It's about making the choices to breed with people who are going to be adequate parents for their children.“As women, we must be aware of two things: the critical importance of choosing our fathers for our children wisely and assessing the calibre of people they need to be, because it's a privilege to have a child.”Meanwhile she said women can avoid falling victim to abusive relationships by looking for warning signs in their partners [see sidebar].“Please get help immediately if you're a woman experiencing these type of behaviours or if you're a male who's beginning to employ these behaviours in your relationship,” she urged.“Get help from somebody who's experienced in this area. Don't let feelings of shame or guilt stop you.”She recommended contacting the police Domestic Violence Unit, the Women's Resource Centre, the Centre Against Abuse or a professional with experience in dealing with the type of complex trauma that results from domestic abuse.lUseful websites: www.bermudapolice.bm, www.bermudacounsellors.bm.