DOVSSU charges Samira Bawumia to complete victim support facility

The Domestics Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service (DOVVSU), have charged the Second Lady Samira Bawumia to complete a one-stop shop victim support facility which has been stalled at the construction stage for nearly a decade.

National coordinator of DOVVSU Superintendent Owusuaa Kyeremeh said the completion of the centre, will enable the police and social welfare system provide much better services to victims of domestics violence.

According to her, victims go through a horrendous episode of having to move from one place to another during the profiling of their cases.

“We use the services of social welfare, counsellors, and psychologists. All these service providers are scattered. So when a victim comes to the police station and is given a referral to go to the hospital, or social welfare, in between your office and the hospital, the person doesn’t show up, the person is lost,” she revealed

Madam Kyeremeh explained how an assault victim, after reporting to the police may be given a police form to visit the hospital at a different location. The inconvenience she stressed, might result in frustrations that could hinder DOVVSU’s ability to deliver in its role.

Besides the financial constraints associated, the victims have to retell and relive the whole episode narrated to the police, to the health professionals at the health centre.

She says many victims due to this, fail to return to the DOVVSU officials after being asked to visit the hospital.

In this regard, “what we need is a whole location. We need to bring all these service providers under one roof to ensure efficient service,” she said, emphasising the need for the facility.

Supt. Kyeremeh believes the one-stop shop will provide all the health and social support services under one roof, relieving victims of the constraints of having to move from place to place when they seek support.

The DOVVSU coordinators were speaking at the outdooring of the Coalition of People against Sexual and Gender Based Violence and Harmful Practices (CoPASH).

With the second lady Samira Bawumia in attendance, she called on her to use her influence to raise funds for the completion of the facility. The coalition seeks to spearhead a national response to the issues of SGBV/HPs including case managing and increasing prevention efforts in Ghana.