By Caleb Kuleke
Ho, May 13, GNA- Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Madam Faustina Awumey, Volta Regional Coordinator, Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) has appealed to the government and the public to support the Unit with a means of transport to facilitate their movement.
She said the lack of means of transport was impeding their ability to execute tasks on time since it made it difficult for them to visit crime scenes promptly to gather crucial evidence and follow up on cases.
Madam Awumey made the appeal at the first quarter review meeting of the Volta Regional Committee on the Provision of Essential Services Package (ESP) for Survivors of Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
The Essential Service Package is a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and World Health Organisation joint initiative to build strong collaboration and coordination among stakeholders who provide essential services for women and girls who are subject to SGBV.
DSP Awumey also made a plea for juvenile cells to house juvenile offenders and shelters for victims of SGBV, pointing out that the Unit became disabled if the Department of Social Welfare was unable to help provide shelter for abuse victims.
She said the influence of certain community leaders in cases of rape or defilement, as well as the failure of some victims or complainants to return to the Unit to help Police with their investigations was affecting the prosecution of some cases.
Mr Augustus Awity, Chief Director of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC), who is also the chairman of the Committee, advised persons handling rape or defilement cases at home to stop.
He stated that since these issues were criminal in nature and could only be resolved in court, anyone handling them at home or meddling in their prosecution was breaking the law.
The Director urged parents, traditional leaders, and the public to stand with the committee as it works tirelessly to address SGBV issues in the Region.
Mr Awity urged people to report sexual and gender-based violence offenders to the police so that they could be dealt with legally and serve as a deterrent to others
Madam Thywill Eyra Kpe, Volta Regional Director, Department of Gender lamented that sometimes cases of SGBV were not reported to the police promptly for action, resulting in loss of evidence and making it difficult to prove those cases.
She said reporting SGBV incidents right away would assist victims in receiving justice as well as post-exposure prophylaxis, which guards against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
The meeting aimed to track trends and work of stakeholders on SGBV for 2023 and the first quarter of the year 2024 and was supported by ActionAid as part of their Transformative Action for Gender Equality Project.
It discussed challenges associated with the provision of services to survivors of SGBV and possible remedies, plan for the committee’s advocacy activities for 2024, and other pending SGBV cases, and how to seek institutional support to address them.
GNA