‘Scrap systems that charge rape victims for tests’ – Amnesty Int'l tells government

Amnesty International, a human rights group, has urged government to discontinue the system that charges victims of rape at hospitals and various police stations before they are attended to.

The country Director of Amnesty International, Robert Akoto-Amoafo, who made this call on the Morning Xpress on Radio XYZ Thursday bemoaned the act and said those charges keep people, especially the poor away from seeking justice in the country.

“…For instance if someone is raped, you know you are supposed to pick a form from the police and get a medical form. That process alone is another thing we, as a country, have not looked at because it throws a lot of social abuse victims out of the system because they are charged fees at the hospital when they are supposed to get free tests to be able to prove their case in court,” he said.

He was speaking in relation to the speed with which justice is served in Ghana when he observed that if the system is stopped, people can seek justice anytime and it will boost the confidence in the Judicial system.

He also urged government to improve upon equipment and infrastructure to speed up the delivery of justice in the country.

To him, justice delivery is frustrating because people who are expected to deliver justice are not given the right equipment to enhance their work.

He said the lack of technology for investigating cases at the basic level makes it difficult for the financially handicapped to seek justice without frustration.

Citing rape cases, Mr akoto-Amoafo noted that if prosecutors are not interested in cases where people have no resources to go for examination to pick them up,the victims don’t get closer to justice, leaving criminals to enjoy free life to the detriment of the society.

“We need to, as a country, improve upon the processes when it comes to criminal cases,” he said.

According the human rights advocate, People go out to settle many cases, especially criminal ones out of court because “the system frustrates them”. This, he said, comes from the fact that the institutions that are expected to smoothly serve justice are handicapped due to logistical constrains.