Eastern Region Records High Rate Of Domestic Violence

The eastern Regional Officer Commanding the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Eunice Annor, has urged the government, particularly the Ministry of Education, to include domestic violence into the curricula of the various schools in the country. According to her, the introduction of the programme into the schools would pave the way for school-going children, particularly the girl child, who is mostly the victim of domestic violence, to understand and fight unrelentingly against the act. She made the appeal in an exclusive interview with the paper, when this reporter visited her office last Friday to ascertain the level o domestic violence incidents recorded in the previous year. Another concern raised by DSP Annor, was cultural misapplication and religious misinterpretation, which accounted for the rise in domestic violence and its related cases against women in the country. She noted that the culture and religious concept, which see a little bit of disrespect against the elderly, as a taboo has militated against the fight of domestic violence in the country. She implored the traditional authorities and religious leaders to use their offices to wage war against domestic violence in society, in order to protect the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the innocent young females. She expressed her appreciation of the level at which Ghanaians had come to terms and understanding on domestic violence reportage. Despite the enormous achievements recorded, DSP enumerated lack of vehicles to respond swiftly to the scene of crimes, investigations and visits to victims, as well as logistics such as digital cameras, computers and accessories for collection of data, as some of the major challenges facing her outfit. A total of 2,287 cases covering rape, defilement, incest, criminal abortion, abduction, assault, causing harm offensive conduct, threat of death, unlawful ejection, and non maintenance, were recorded in 2009, as compared to 1,826 in 2008. Out of the number recorded in 2009, only 287 cases were taken to court, with 20 convicted, whilst 135 were adjourned, and 981 still under investigation.