Accra, June 26, GNA - The Kaneshie Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) has called on traditional and opinion leaders not to interfere in criminal cases that are before the court.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Alice Harlley, the Divisional Coordinator, who made the call, said such interventions made it difficult for police officials to investigate such cases to their logical conclusion.
ASP Harlley said this on Tuesday at a training and interactive session with opinion leaders and male counterparts on sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence for adolescent girls.
The training was organised by the Purim African Youth Development Platform (PAYDP) in collaboration with the UNFPA and Global Affairs Canada.
She said all must rise up to the challenge because abuse cases are becoming too rampant in the society.
A police officer would not allow the settlement of criminal cases out of court without the consent of the complainant, she said.
ASP Harlley said the need to report criminal cases in society, especially rape, was very important as delays would kill the evidence needed.
She called on opinion leaders and male counterparts to play positive roles in curbing gender-based violence in communities.
The men were as well sensitised on sections 97, 101 and 105 of criminal and other offences Act on defilement, rape, and incest.
She urged men to live in peace with women and girls at home so that it extends to the community, society and the nation to make it a safe haven for all.
Mrs Aku Xornam Kevi, the Executive Director of PAYDP, said gender-based violence issues could not be dealt with without involving men who are mostly the perpetrators.
She said the programme has been designed to support government and NGOs to implement its girls development vision and scale up the existing strategies and interventions to further an integrated policy response, which would holistically serve the needs of adolescent girls, age 10 to 19 years in Ghana.
The programme has been implemented in six districts in the Assin South, Accra Metro, Ningo Prampram, Kumasi Metro, Kintampo South and Techiman Municipal.
Mrs Kevi said many men erroneously thought that gender only referred to women and therefore all these forms of violence happening were due to par-relations and gender stereotypes in communities.
"Gender stereotypes are the major cause of the problem so if we are able to nib some of these things in the bud and help the male counterparts understand that both men and women are human beings, it will reduce violence in general," she said.
The opinion leaders at the end of the training came up with an action plan to help find solutions to the problems. They also agreed to get involved in other programmes to promote the welfare of girls.
GNA
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