A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Abuse Relief Corps has appealed to the government of Ghana to cancel fees being charged victims of rape who seek medical care.
According to the NGO, the medical fees should be cancelled by the government so that rape victims can freely go to the hospital for a medical check-up.
Addressing the media, Director of the NGO, Anthony Boateng Bediako, mentioned that some families were finding it difficult to afford the medical bills and sometimes the victim need to support the DOVVSU Department of the Ghana Police Service before they can arrest the suspect.
“Today’s programme is about the partnership between Abuse Relief Corps and UNICEF Ghana which is been ruined for a year because when Covid-19 came into existence we saw that those cases have raised”, he stated.
“So after we started this program the results that we have achieved is what we want to bring to the public domain so that the public will also know what is happening”.
“That’s why we were explaining that from October 19th to January 19th we have helped about 69 cases of survivals and their families”.
The breakdown of the 69 cases goes like this “62 are females, 3 of them are males and 4 of them are also female but their families don’t want to continue with the case again so it’s like the cases are still with the police”, he stated.
“So we are explaining that anyone can fall as a victim/ can go into that situation. Some people are coming from poor homes and those are also coming from rich homes and have been raped in that way”.
He also suggested that there should be some compensation from the government to the victims to cut down their costs.
“We also suggest there should be a compensation for the victims and survivals who go through the process will think that they will have at least amount of money from the government to cut down their costs”.
He made this statement when Abuse Relief Corps (ARC) in partnership with UNICEF Ghana Organized a dialogue on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Case Management in Ghana.
The media engagement held at the GNAT Hall in Accra, on Thursday 18th February 2021, was graced with speakers from the Department of Social Welfare, Greater Accra Regional Girls Education Officer, Lawyer Marian Darlington Rockson among other dignitaries.
The Director of Anti-Trafficking Unit at Ghana Police Service, Chief Superintendent Mike Baah also added that Social And Gender-Based Violence was against the law so the Ghana Police Service has taken upon themselves that anything that is against the laws, they will make sure it is investigated and anyone who is found guilty will be put before the law court.
According to him, “we have a lot of Child Protection Laws. There are also a Children’s act which was promulgated in 1998, Domestic violence act(2007- Act 732), Human Trafficking act (Act 694) which was also promulgated in 2005, Child and Family welfare policy among others.”
“Social And Gender-Based Violence is against the law so the Ghana Police Service has taken upon ourselves that anything that is against the laws, we will make sure it is investigated and anyone who is found guilty will be put before the law court”.
“It would be recalled that as a country we have a lot of Child Protection Laws. They’re also a Children’s act which was promulgated in 1998, Domestic violence act(2007- Act 732), Human Trafficking act (Act 694) which was also promulgated in 2005, Child and Family welfare policy among others”.
“So the Ghana Police Service has to do proper reorganization to respond to the needs of the society that why if you will see the service has established Domestic violence and victims support Unit and also the Anti-Human Trafficking unit”.
“These units are specialised because when it comes to children and abuses you need to get those who specialize in that to do proper investigations”.
“Apart from that, those units are across the country and district capitals so that such issues can be reported to the police and the investigations can be done by the police”.
About Abuse Relief Corps
Abuse Relief Corps is a non-profit organisation which offers assistance to abused women and children seeking justice.
They also provide shelter for victims of abuse who no longer feel safe in their environment and also provide self-defence training for girls to Espace abusive situations.
