‘Be bold to report any form of abuse’

The deputy co-ordinating director of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), Police Chief Superintendent Laurencia Wilhelmina Akorli, has urged the public to be bold and report any form of abuse they may suffer to the police.

She said they should not keep the ordeal to themselves and become traumatised while the offenders walked around freely and continued to prey on other victims.

Making the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, Chief Supt Akorli rejected the situation where victims agreed to out-of-court settlement of rape, sexual harassment and other violent attacks.

  Protection

That, she said, was not helpful to efforts at providing protection, particularly for children, women and other vulnerable groups in the society.

She highlighted the need for abused victims to co-operate with the police for successful prosecution of their abusers, and criticised abused persons who did not co-operate with the police, resulting in the delay of legal processes to bring the culprits to justice.

Chief Supt Akorli asked abused persons to readily provide any vital information that would aid a speedy court trial, and advised her colleagues to be diligent in their investigation to help the victims to get justice.

She appealed to relatives, community and religious leaders to assist those who have been abused to overcome the pain and to live normal lives.