Journalists complain about poor treatment

22-07-2011
Some media practitioners at a day’s capacity building workshop on Gender Based Violence at Wa, have described as frustrating the ordeal they encounter in their quest to access information from the offices of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service. The situation they noted impedes their efforts in addressing issues of domestic and gender based violence. They observed that the task of ensuring protection of human rights of women and children, as well as other vulnerable persons in the society was enormous and required the support of DOVVSU and relevant stakeholders to deal with all forms of abuses, which according to them are still on the rise despite numerous awareness creations. Reacting to the concern raised, the Upper West Regional Director of DOVVSU, DSP Alexander Amenyah, said his outfit is tasked with the responsibility of protecting the dignity and wellbeing of their clients, particularly victims of abuse, and thus it behoves on them to conduct all necessary investigations on a victim before any information is put under public domain. DSP Amenyah in his attempt to deal with the issue took participants through certain police procedures in addressing cases of domestic violence and urged media practitioners to exercise restraint in their effort to access information for dissemination. He said DOVVSU shares information with all stakeholders and more often collaborate with organizations that may be able to offer assistance to victims in need of assistance. He said in cases of child abuse, the police are required to protect the right of the victim particularly when it involves rape or any sexual assault on a child below the age of 18. This, he said, is done to prevent stigmatization as indicated in the Juvenile Justice Act. DSP Amenyah, further encouraged the media to partner the police in protecting the rights of the citizenry in the society. He said the police acknowledges the contribution of the media in the fight against crime and other human right abuses in the country, and pledged that the police would continue to open up to them in times of information sharing. The workshop was organized by the Coalition on Domestic Violence Legislation in Ghana and attended by selected media practitioners from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions. It was on the theme: “Enhancing the capacity of frontline media personnel in responding to Gender Based Violence”.
GBC END IA/