Report criminal issues to police - Bono DOVVSU to pastors

Pastors and marriage counsellors have been advised to report criminal domestic issues brought before them to the police for appropriate action.

The Bono Regional Training Officer of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, Detective Inspector Bright Asare who gave the advice stated that pastors and marriage counsellors ought to distinguish between domestic issues that they could handle and those which were criminal in nature.

He was speaking at a forum organised by the Brong-Ahafo Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana on the upsurge of spousal killings in recent times in the country in Sunyani last Wednesday.

Dubbed "Causes and effects of domestic violence and spousal killings in recent times," the forum was attended by ministers of the gospel, traditional leaders, group leaders of some churches and a cross-section of the public.

Inspector Asare called on spouses, particularly wives to always be on the lookout for indications in their marriages that could spell doom for them in the future.

He mentioned over-caring, monitoring of movements, excessive anger and restriction against partaking in social events as some of the indications that could result in spousal killings.

"When you see these things happening then you should take measures since they are possible signs that your spouse can kill you at the least provocation.

"When your congregants report to you such happenings in their marriages, you should give them advice from an informed knowledge and not to encourage them to stay in such situations that can lead to their death," Inspector Asare advised.

"Marriage is not slavery.

Pastors, therefore, have to acquire the necessary knowledge that would enable them to provide appropriate advice to their congregants who are confronted with domestic violence issues," Detective Insp Asare stated.

For his part, the Bono Regional Administrator of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Johnson Mawuli, said, "Everyone has a right to live and no one therefore has the right to his or her spouse no matter the circumstance."

He advised parents to work hard to take care of their children and not to allow for the sponsorship of the girls by their would-be partners as it accounted for spousal killing when the sponsored partners decided to walk out of the relationship.

The Chairperson of the Brong-Ahafo Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Reverend Benjamin Appiah, said the forum, organised by the Ecumenical and Social Department of the Presbytery to contribute to efforts to finding solution to domestic violence that sometimes resulted in spousal killings in the country.