DOVVSU of Police needs shelters for victims- Director

Ho, Oct. 5, GNA- The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service needs shelters to accomodate victims of domestic violence until such time that it would be safe for them to return home.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mrs. Beatrice Vib-Sanziri, National Co-ordinating Director of the DOVVSU, made the request in response to concerns expressed by Mr Mawutor Goh, Ho Municipal Chief Executive on Police response to cases of domestic violence in the Ho Municipal area.

This was at a forum on gender related violence in the Volta region, organized by DOVVSU and United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA).

ACP Vib-Sanziri said under the present circumstances some non-governmental organizations such as the Ark Foundations provided limited shelters for such victims in Accra but those victims were better kept at the Police Stations for their own safety. She said the forum was to prepare the ground as part of UNFPA's project to open offices of the DOVVSU in the region this year to deal with the increasing incidence of domestic related violence in the region.

ACP Vib-Sanziri said domestic related violence was no longer a private matter because it touched on the rights of the victims, leading to broken homes and its social consequences and could result in the death of the victims.

She said it was necessary for all segments of society to prevent domestic violence and ensure a safe society.

Mr. Goh said the quality of response from the Police in terms of the privacy for such victims and the protection they enjoyed were crucial in soliciting the co-operation of such victims and community in dealing with the problem.

The Volta Regional Police Commander ACP Bernard G. Dery in a welcoming address said 163 domestic violence cases were recorded by the Police in the Volta region between January and August this year adding that the situation was alarming.

He said it was necessary to educate the public on issues of domestic violence, as it affects both men and women. "It's not a one way street", he said.

Miss Lena Alai, Volta Regional Co-ordinator of the Department of Women said the high level of illiteracy among women in the region, their weak economic status and the strong adherence to dehumanising cultural practices exposed them to domestic violence. She observed that traditional rulers who could wield considerable influence in dealing with the problem seemed to be slow and over cautious in bringing their influences to bear on the situation. "If Chiefs really get involved we can cut out those dehumanising practices", she asserted.