Wa records 32 child-abuse cases in 2013 second quarter

The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service in the Wa Municipality, has recorded 32 child-abuse and other child related cases during the second quarter of this year.

The Unit recorded a total of 72 cases within the period out of which 32 cases had direct negative impact on children.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Benjamin Mensah, Upper West Regional Coordinator of DOVVSU, made these remarks in Wa at  during a regional multi –sector committee meeting on the rights and welfare of children.

He said that 12 of the cases were sent to court, six cases resolved by families of the parties involved, nine resolved with the assistance of Social Welfare Department and five cases were still under investigations.

ASP Mensah said that DOVVSU and the Girl Child Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service had detected defilement, adduction and non-maintenance cases which were hitherto not being reported.

He said this had kept many children in the classrooms and sent a signal to the perpetrators of child-related crimes.

ASP Mensah said the Unit with assistance from Social Workers had been able to re-integrate  disintegrated families, and also resolved some  child non-maintenance cases, which had improved the nutritional, health, educational and housing needs of children in the region.

As part of the Unit’s quest to reduce the incidence of domestic violence , the region was zoned into smaller units.

The unit members would liaise with assembly members, chiefs , churches , Imams , market queens and schools to sensitize the public on the forms of abuse , the need to prevent them and sanctions available for the offenders .

Mr. Hamidu Haruna, the Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, noted that problems facing children in the region were varied and no single agency could address them alone.

Source: GNA