Tema, Jan. 11, GNA- Tema office of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DVVSU) in 2006 recorded as high as 1,018 cases of neglect of child maintenance, topping all cases brought before the Unit. It dealt with 933 of the cases, transferred 184 to the family tribunal, sent 38 to the department of social welfare, nine to the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice and three went to the Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA).
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rebecca Nyamah, Head of the Unit, who disclosed these to the GNA in an interview on Wednesday at Tema, said most of the cases were reported from Ashaiman, a densely populated area.
She said the Unit also handled 78 assault cases, 61 defilement cases, 15 cases of causing damage and other cases involving threat of death, harm, stealing, abortion, offensive conduct and harassment. ASP Nyamah said out of the various cases, five people were convicted, 173 were under investigation and 19 still pending. She urged couples, whether separated or divorced to take good care of their children, saying that neglect of this very important responsibility contributed to about 70 percent of social vices among the youth.
ASP Nyamah noted that children living under unfavourable conditions were compelled to fend for themselves no matter the circumstances and ended up becoming liabilities on their families and society. She said most cases of the marital problems was as a result of mistrust between couples who continued to accuse each other of infidelity and also economic hardships led to separation.
ASP Nyamah said to curtail unforeseen problems, the DVVSU entreated aspiring couples to go for marriage counseling and expressed regret that children suffered most in cases of divorce.
