Accra, June 30, GNA - A three-day workshop has been organized for 35 newly posted staff to the Domestic Violence and Victim support Unit (DOVSSU) of the Ghana Police Service in Accra.

The workshop was sponsored by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF and participants were lectured on the rights on protection of children, child abuse and child labour as well as domestic violence. The participants were also taken through interviewing and counselling of victims and perpetrators of domestic violence, human trafficking, children and the Juvenile Justice Act, investigating child-related cases, data management and coordination of domestic violence activities.

Closing the workshop, Commissioner of Police Mrs Joana Osei-Poku, Director-General of Human Resource Development of Police, charged DOVVSU staff to discharge their duties towards the public with professionalism. She urged them to ensure that perpetrators of domestic violence were brought to book whilst at the same time offering full protection to all victims of abuse.

COP Mrs Osei-Poku assured the public that DOVVSU would continue to champion the cause against domestic violence and all forms of abuses and entreated victims and witnesses of abuse to report perpetrators to the Unit. In an address read for her, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mrs Beatrice Vib-Sanziri, Coordinating Director of DOVVSU, asked participants to put into practice their newly acquired skills on domestic violence cases.

She expressed appreciation to UNICEF for its continuous assistance to the Unit particularly in the areas of logistics and capacity building.

Mr Eric Okrah, Child Protection Specialist with UNICEF, emphasized the importance of networking with all service providers in the field of domestic violence.

He therefore asked participants to endeavour to be actively involved in a recently established Child Abuse Network which was aimed at forming a coordinated and comprehensive network for all interest groups and individuals.

Mr Okrah also emphasized on the importance of proper documentation of all domestic violence cases by the Unit to enable the trend to be properly monitored and controlled.