Police officer says DOVVSU needs shelter for victims

Superintendent of Police Rebecca Nyamah, the Tema Regional Coordinator of the Domestic Violence Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), has appealed to the government and other stakeholders to consider constructing shelter homes for the Unit in all the regions.

She told the GNA in an interview that due to the lack of shelter homes, the Unit resort to sending victims of domestic violence and missing children to either the Social Welfare Department or to homes of DOVVSU personnel.

Supt. Nyamah said shelter was the foundation and key to the progress of the Unit and that it was the duty of the Unit to care for missing children and victims whose parents or guardians have perpetrated some crimes against them until the case is determined.

She also appealed to relatives of abused children not to disown the victims when the perpetrators of those crimes against the children are punished by the law.

Supt Nyamah said it was sad when relatives refuse to take custody of such victims citing an example of a student whose mother burnt all her books when she was preparing to sit for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in 2012.

She said because the victim reported the issue to DOVVSU at Prampram, leading to the mother being invited by the Unit, the relatives refused to cater for her, and the victim has to put up with personnel of the Unit.