Domestic Violence in Mauritius: What to Do in the First 24 Hours

In the first 24 hours after domestic violence, the priorities are immediate safety, medical care, a police report where appropriate, and preservation of evidence that already exists. Call police on 999 or 112 if danger is immediate; the Ministry’s free domestic-violence hotline 139 operates 24 hours a day for crisis support and referral. Do not delay leaving an unsafe place merely to collect documents or photographs.

Immediate safety first

Move towards a place where help is available: a police station, medical facility, trusted person or confidential shelter route. If children are present, tell responders where they are, whether anyone is injured and whether the abusive person has access to weapons, transport, school or childcare. Take medication, identification and a charged phone if they are within reach, but do not return for them during an active threat.

A shared device or account can reveal a location, search history or shelter conversation. Use a safer telephone if possible, review location sharing only when doing so will not trigger greater danger, and avoid posting where you have gone. The Police Family Protection Unit and Family Support Services can assist with shelter placement rather than requiring a victim to locate accommodation alone.

Reporting to the police and what to expect

State what happened in chronological terms and separate what you saw or heard from what someone later told you. Identify injuries, threats, children who witnessed events, damaged property, prior incidents and any protection order. The 2016 amendments to the operative Protection from Domestic Violence Act require police enquiry into reported domestic-violence offences and provide an arrest power in specified circumstances.

The Police Family Protection Unit is a specialist branch with sub-units across Mauritius and Rodrigues. Its official services include complaint registration, shelter placement, assistance with court orders, referral and follow-up. A police report addresses the suspected offence; it does not necessarily file the separate District Court application described in our protection-order application guide.

Getting useful medical documentation

Seek treatment for pain, bleeding, breathing difficulty, head injury, strangulation symptoms, pregnancy concerns or psychological distress. Tell the clinician when the incident occurred, the symptoms and relevant history as accurately as possible. Some effects develop later, so return for care if new symptoms appear rather than assuming the first examination closed the issue.

Keep the medical certificate or report supplied, prescriptions, imaging or test documents, discharge note and receipts. Photographs can show change over time, but they are not a substitute for clinical assessment. A medical record proves what was reported, observed and treated; the court decides its weight alongside the rest of the evidence.

Evidence to preserve: messages, photos and witnesses

Save the full message thread with the account or number visible, original voice notes, call history, photographs of injuries or damage, and any doorbell or CCTV recording. Back up copies to a secure place that the abusive person cannot access. Note the name and contact details of a neighbour, relative, driver or colleague who directly witnessed part of the event.

Do not edit an audio file, add explanatory text over an original image or ask a witness to adopt your wording. If you need a working chronology, create it separately and link each entry to the untouched source. Avoid publishing allegations or images of children online; public circulation can expose a safe location, identify a child and complicate later evidential issues.

Emergency applications to the District Court

Under the current 1997 Act, a person who experienced domestic violence and reasonably fears further acts may seek a protection order. If sworn facts show a serious risk of harm before the respondent can be heard, the District Court can issue an interim order. For spouses, occupation or tenancy orders may address the immediate right to remain in an owned or rented residence.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2026 was assented to on 20 July and gazetted on 21 July 2026, but section 47 makes commencement dependent on Proclamation. It was still awaiting Proclamation in late August, so its exclusion-order, technology-assisted filing and wider relationship procedures must not be used as though they are operational. Until commencement, the 1997 Act route remains operative; confirm the position before filing and review the current protection-order framework.

Support services and shelters

Family Support Services are the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare’s frontline one-stop services for domestic violence, child protection and family welfare. The official service includes psychological support, legal and court assistance, crisis response and placement with NGO-run shelters. Hotline 139 can connect a caller to support at any hour; child-protection concerns can also be reported on 113.

The police remain the correct emergency route when violence or an order breach is occurring. Counselling or mediation is not an emergency substitute and should not be used to press a victim into a joint meeting where safety or free participation is doubtful. If belongings remain at the residence, the operative Act allows an Enforcement Officer to accompany and assist collection after the relevant assessment.

Planning the next legal steps

Within the next day or two, assemble one page listing the people involved, key incidents, police references, medical visits, current orders, children’s arrangements and next court dates. Put the sealed order, identity and civil-status documents, lease or deed, school information and income records in separate groups. This allows a barrister to see whether the immediate need is criminal representation, a protection application, home occupation, custody or maintenance.

Do not assume that starting one process completes the others. A criminal enquiry is controlled by police and prosecutors; protective relief comes from the District Court; divorce and related provisional measures belong to the Supreme Court. If separation is contemplated, our guide to coordinating domestic violence and divorce explains those parallel tracks, while legal-aid information may be relevant where means are limited.

This article is general legal information for Mauritius, not legal advice. For advice on your situation, consult a barrister.