30% of 914 calls linked to violence, abuse and sexual assault – Dr Persaud

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud says approximately 30 per cent of the thousands of calls received annually through the 914 hotline are related to violence, abuse and sexual assault.

“The 914 hotline started with a few hundred calls in the first year and every year thereafter we would have seen the hotline receive thousands of calls, double digit thousands, equivalent to about 14,000 calls per a year.

Out of those calls at least 30 per cent would relate to cases of violence, abuse and sexual assault,” Dr Persaud disclosed recently. She was speaking at a Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2026 symposium.

The 914 hotline was launched in December 2020 by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security as a 24-hour toll-free emergency service offering support to victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

The hotline provides confidential counselling, connects callers with social workers and assists with the reporting of abuse cases.

According to Dr Persaud, the hotline now receives about 14,000 calls each year.

A significant portion of those calls, she said involve persons seeking help for abuse-related matters.

A of the 30 percent, a number of the cases unfortunately involve children matters.

“A number of those unfortunately are to do with children cases, children matters and we would have had the occasional calls where children themselves would call 914,” Dr Persaud said.