DOVVSU Records More Defilement Cases In Agona Swedru

The Agona Swedru Divisional Command of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, recorded more defilement cases in the first and Second quarter of this year than the same period last year. Police Chief Inspector Philip Arthur, Station Officer of The Agona Swedru Divisional DOVVSU, disclosed this at a forum on community level engagement between young people and the Police at Agona Swedru. The forum was organized by the Youth Bridge Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in Accra, and sponsored by Osiwa. According to C/Insp Arthur, a total of 78 defilement cases were recorded by the Command in the first and second quarter of this year, as against 62 cases during the same period last year. He said the Crime Statistics of the Divisional DOVVSU for non-maintenance cases increased from 63 in 2014 to 85 during the same period this year. C/Insp Arthur said indecent assault cases increased from 6 in 2014, to 8 at the same period this year, while child abduction also increased from 11 cases in 2014 to 17 this year He said child trafficking cases also went up from three in 2014 to four this year. C/Insp Arthur advised parents to report all cases related to child abuse, especially involving the girl-child, to DOVVSU. He also cautioned them to desist from attempting to settle defilement cases out of the police station. Mr Robert Baah, Agona West Municipal Director of Department of Social Welfare said no child was born to become a criminal. Mr Baah pointed out that the environment in which the child was brought up also contributed to the cultivation of the habits of a child. He cautioned men against the shirking of their responsibilities to take care of their children, before the law caught up with them. Mr Fredrick Jojo, Programme Officer of Youth Bridge Foundation, said the project was aimed at searching the future of young people in Ghana through improved juvenile service. He stated that another objective also was to educate the children about the activities of the Ghana Police Service, to erase society's bad impression about the Police. Topics treated at the forum included Youth Perception about the Police; The Proper Handling of Juvenile Arrests to Committal; and the Role of the Young in ensuring a Crime-Free Society.