About 57 police prosecutors, who were selected from Accra and Tema to undergo training in human rights and related issues, have completed the course.
The three-day training, organized by the NIMBUS Foundation, was part of efforts to improve the capacity of the personnel of human rights and related issues with emphasis on the abuse of the rights of the vulnerable groups such as women, children and the disabled in society.
Director-General in-charge of Human Resource Development, DCOP Beatrice Zakpa Vib Sanziri, whose speech was read on her behalf by Superintendent Phyllis Osei, said the police service believes that personnel, especially the prosecutors, should acquire the requisite knowledge to be able to discharge their duties effectively.
She said training and retraining equip officers to deliver on their mandate and through this process, their skills would be sharpened which will also improve their confidence.
“It is against this background that this programme is specifically designed to build the capacity of the police to deliver on its delegated functions by the Attorney-General.”
She urged the participants to use the knowledge acquired to improve their job.
Joyce Opoku–Boateng, Chief Executive Officer of NIMBUS Foundation, on her part, said her foundation has been at the forefront of promoting women and children’s rights through advocacy, training and sensitization and the conduct of research on pertinent issues in our society.
“Human rights violation is a daily occurrence in Ghana as reported in the media, especially the rights of vulnerable groups such as women and children.”
She said gender-based violence includes sexual violence, domestic violence, human trafficking, forced marriages and harmful traditional practices.
She noted that many of the victims do not even report cases which also result in low conviction rates.
“Prosecutors play a critical role in the criminal justice system. While prosecutors face different duties and tasks, they generally represent the authority of the state in bringing a criminal case against the accused, ensuring the application of the law during the criminal proceedings.”
She averred that the goal of the prosecution is to protect the victims while holding perpetrators accountable for their actions and communicate a strong message to the community that violence against women and girls would not be tolerated.”
