Rising cases of domestic violence: DOVVSU sensitises pupils to rights, responsibilities

The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service at Odumase-Krobo in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in the Eastern Region has embarked on a sensitisation programme for pupils and students in both public and private schools in the municipality on domestic violence.

The programme, which was led by the Odumase-Krobo District Commander, Superintendent Doris Grant Hukporti, was on the theme: “Know your role in domestic violence and play your part to save you”.

Other members of the team were the District DOVVSU Officer, Chief Inspector Margaret Arthur; Sgt Beatrice Anyidoho and Constable Lucy Takyiwaa.

Increasing cases

The pupils and the students were educated on defilement, incest, indecent assault, unnatural carnal knowledge, lesbianism, juveniles, child labour, economic and child abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse and threat, among other topics.

At one of the programmes at the Odumase Krobo Forman Memorial Presbyterian Schools, Supt. Hukporti said the sensitisation programme became necessary, based on the increasing number of domestic violence cases the command received each day.

She explained that the programme was necessary to educate the pupils and students who were the victims to know the law and their role when they were abused so that they could report for their safety.

Sensitisation clubs

According to the District Commander, her command would go beyond just the education to form domestic victims’ sensitisation clubs for both boys and girls in the various schools.

 The District Commander advised the pupils/students to promptly report any sexual advances towards them to the police for assistance, adding that “we are not only to arrest, but at the same time we are to rescue you when you are in trouble”.

She urged the parents to supervise their children at home and not to make room for their children to be abused, adding that the district DOVVSU was monitoring some girls who were abused to ensure they were in school.

Ignorance of the law

Chief Inspector Margaret Arthur, who took the pupils and students through the programme, said many were the children who were seriously suffering from domestic violence, especially at home, but they kept quiet due to ignorance of the DOVVSU law that protected them.

She said as much as they wanted to learn and aspire to a higher level in education, they would not be able to achieve their aims if they continued to keep quiet when they were abused in any form.

Chief Inspector Arthur explained that apart from teaching and learning in school, the teachers were their surrogate parents and could act on behalf of their parents in situations of domestic violence at home, hence the need to let the teachers know of their plight when it happened.

“The domestic violence cases involving minors reported at the station each day are terrifying and we need to arrest the situation,” she added.

The Headmaster of the Odumase Forman Memorial Basic School, Mr Francis Nadutey, was grateful to the police for the programme, describing it as enlightening not only for the pupils and students, but the teachers as well.