George Town, Grand Cayman, 12 September 2018

The directors of the board of the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre would like to express their deep concern for all those who have troubles in their lives and especially for the two young women who were involved in an altercation outside of TAYA lounge last night (September 11).  The Crisis Centre and by extension Estella’s Place and the TAYA Lounge, is a sanctuary from violence and we promote and teach people about healthy relationships and peaceful resolution to issues.

The TAYA Lounge currently has a membership of approximately 35 at-risk youth, who come regularly to find refuge. The TAYA Lounge is a place where teens can talk to an experienced and qualified counsellor and dedicated volunteers, and where they can learn some valuable life skills such as dealing with issues that in a perfect world they should not be encountering, considering their young years.  We are determined to continue to provide this vital service to help these young people through their issues, and eventually break the cycle of violence, working towards our vision of a violence-free Cayman.

The TAYA Lounge does have a buzz-in security system, cameras and panic buttons and further security is now under review. All emergency processes were followed by the staff on duty.

The Open House that had been previously planned for tonight has been postponed until Thursday 20 September to allow for those people affected by the incident time to process. In acknowledgement of and respect for the two young women involved, we are asking all who come to the Open House and to the TAYA Lounge to sign a “Peace Pledge” committing themselves to non-violence from this day forward, and help us reinforce our message of peace.

We continue to monitor the health of the two young women with great concern.

The Cayman Islands Crisis Centre carries out its mission by providing safe shelter for abused women and their children, a 24-hour toll free crisis line, an ongoing support and counseling programmes. Estella’s Place, the organisation’s public facing office located in Crown Square on Eastern Avenue is open 9am-5pm Monday-Friday.

Visit www.cicc.ky for the latest information on fundraising and community activities, as well as a library of information on domestic abuse – how you can help, how to get help and the special needs of children who have been exposed to domestic violence and “Like” the Facebook page to stay informed of all Crisis Centre activities.