Victims support fund advocated

Sekondi, Jan. 16, GNA - Madam Joanna W. Mensah, Western Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, has called for the assembling of experts and the establishment of a fund to assist victims of abuse.

She said the Resource Group should include lawyers, counsellors, psychologists and medical doctors.

Madam Mensah speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sekondi on Tuesday said apart from counselling, victims of sexual abuse would have easy access to health centres and qualified psychotherapy.

Madam Mensah said many victims of abuse failed to report at Police Stations and attend hospital while the few who did could not complete their medication due to the lack of finance.

She suggested that the fund should to be known as "Victims Assistance Fund" should be managed the Social Welfare, the Department of Children under the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs, the Legal Aid and the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police and other stakeholders to ensure transparency.

The Fund should provide transport for victims to report to the nearest Police Station, attend hospitals and assist them to attend court. Madam Mensah said many victims of abuse both boys and girls, harboured the pain, guilt, frustration and shame to the detriment of their emotional development.

She added that most of the victims could also become pregnant and thus become school drop-outs while they could contract sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS.

Madam Mensah cautioned that victims if not given the proper assistance, could become emotionally, psychologically, and physically traumatised and could carry these burdens into their adulthood.

"We must all work hard and produce healthy men and women who would occupy important positions in the society", she stated.