The office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit at the Regional Headquarters of the Ghana Police Service recorded a total of 123 cases of Sexual and Gender-Based violence in 2022.
Similarly, the unit recorded a total number of 24 cases of Sexual and Gender-Based violence in the first quarter of 2023.
The unit recorded 13 cases of defilement and rape cases from 2022 through to the first quarter of 2023.
Out of the 13 cases of defilement and rape cases, 7 have been prosecuted with 3 convictions, 4 are still in court, and about 5 are under investigation.
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) is violence committed against a person because of his or her sex or gender. It involves forcing another person to engage in something against his or her will through violence, coercion, threats, deception, and cultural or economic means.
These acts could be physical, emotional or psychological, socio-economic violence, domestic violence, or harmful practices including child marriage and female genital mutilation among others.
Asooh Lardi Mary, a Station Officer at the unit shared these statistics at a review meeting on essential services packages for survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based organized in Bolgatanga by the Department of Gender with funding support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
“For 2022 we recorded 43 cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the first quarter.31 in the second quarter, 30 in the third quarter, and in the last quarter, we recorded 19 cases. For the first quarter of 2023, we recorded 24 cases. On defilement and rape, the office received a total of 13 cases from 2022 including the first quarter of 2023. Out of the 13, we sent 7 to court with three convictions, 4 still on trial, and about 5 under investigations.” She disclosed.
