Crime Officers Tasked To Apply Domestic Violence Laws Effectively

The Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department [CID] of the Police Service, DCOP Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, has charged police crime officers to diligently apply the Domestic Violence Act (732, 2007) and Domestic Violence Regulations (LI 2237, 2016) in dealing with gender related violence cases.

She said a thorough understanding of the regulations will aid the officers in their pursuit to seeking justice for victims of domestic violence.

Speaking at a seminar for crime officers within the Greater Accra Region on Domestic and Gender Based Violence issues and challenges, Maame Tiwaa urged the personnel to strictly use the guidelines and eschew unethical practices in resolving such matters.

“The whole thing [seminar] was necessitated because I realized that most of the crime officers haven't actually read the Domestic Violence Act, they haven't even seen the Act and if the law that is supposed to guide us is not been used by our officers then it means they are unlikely to do their work well”

Maame Tiwaa added that, the resolution of gender-based violence is multifaceted, and that it needs special attention.

“It is different from other traditional crimes, its very sensitive and most of the issues that we have to deal with are family related and other things. Moreover victims of such crimes sometimes get so much afraid, they are traumatized and we need to handle them well. Some of them may not want to report but when we receive them, we have to assure them that they are going to get justice, it encourages other people to report such cases,” she added.

Mrs. Angela Dwamena-Aboagye of the Art Foundation and other resource persons, took participants through the Domestic Violence Act 732, 2007, and the Domestic Violence Regulations LI 2237, 2016, which outlined the required guidelines for handling domestic violence cases in the country.