General News of Monday, 3 February 2014

Source: GNA

Police seek public assistance on spousal murder

Chief Superintendent Habiba Twumasi-Sarpong, Director of Community Policing, Sunyani, has appealed to the general public to assist the police to prevent spousal murder.

She expressed concern about the increasing rate of spousal murder in the country, saying the nation is losing great women whose contributions are needed for national development.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Chief Superintendent Twumasi-Sarpong said spousal murder did not happen in a day, but started from domestic abuses.

The Director was on a one week Brong-Ahafo Regional educational tour to sensitise women groups, students, churches, residents in Zongo communities on the prevention of crime, particularly spousal murder.

She advised women to be cautious about early signs of spousal murder and report all kinds of domestic violence to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) for settlement and prosecution.

Chief Superintendent Twumasi-Sarpong said the Community Policing Unit was established in 2005 for a collaboration between the general public and the police for crime prevention because the police alone could not fight crime without receiving information from the public.

She said school children were involved in the educational campaign since they were all potential spouses, adding that they could also report abuses of their parents and other people in their communities to help save lives.

Chief Superintendent Twumasi-Sarpong appealed to men to avoid assaulting their wives and rather report offences committed by their wives to DOVVSU for the law to take its course.