Avoidable Bloodshed

Now that a clearer and better picture of the crazy murders and suicide which took place at Tema a few days ago has been drawn, we can determine whether the deaths were avoidable or not.

We wish to state without any iota of doubt that the fatalities which occurred could have been avoided had the Domestic Violence and Victims Support (DOVVSU) officials at Tema, where the initial attack by the policeman was reported, responded swiftly with a determination to obviate what happened eventually.

Indeed, the Inspector General of Police John Kudalor, who chanced upon the lady making the report, ordered the detention of the cop.

The detention was overnight but we doubt whether there was any serious effort at resolving the underlying challenge with a view to determining whether a divorce or alternative actions such as keeping the enraged cop away from the family was not the best option.

We can say that the deceased's colleagues sought to protect him against any adverse action and so decided to be lenient in their responses to the emerging developments following the initial report and the action which followed it.

There was also no effort at finding out the state of mind of the late cop to determine whether he was fit to bear firearms against the backdrop of his threats of killing his wife.

These are very serious issues which should have been studied by the DOVVSU officials before giving the deceased the all-clear signal, as it were, to return to work which entailed bearing of firearms.

We can vouch that he was never taken to a psychiatrist to evaluate his state of mind. It was not enough to order that the wife and kids live elsewhere, leaving other important responses undone.

It was instructive that the deceased was given direction to her new location, a situation which informed her moving house once more, yet nobody bothered to come to her aid and the kids.

A survey report on mental health by an NGO, which we recalled in an earlier editorial, lays bare the fact that many persons walking about in the street have psychiatric challenges and would need appropriate attention from a specialist.

In our part of the world unfortunately, even suggesting this option is grounds for verbal attack from not only the person suspected of requiring such attention but his or her family because of the stigma of making a date with a psychiatrist.

We have a long way to go in this direction: the Police which should even know better failing in its responsibility of denying persons suspected of suffering depression or any form of mental challenge the possession of firearms.

The policeman, who killed his mother-in-law and kids, clearly was a danger not only to himself but others in society and this we have all seen from the tragic end of the innocent lives and the cop himself.

It was an avoidable tragedy which would have been obviated if those being paid to manage such matters had been responsible enough.