June 15. Da Fuzz

Today I went with a group of WiLDAF staff to Police Headquarters in Accra. We were there to give a seminar on protection orders under Ghana’s recent Domestic Violence Act, with special focus on the responsibilities of the police in the process of issuing and enforcing these orders. As it turns out, the report I recently finished on the experience with protection orders in other countries around the world served as the backbone of the seminar. Our presentation was fairly well received, and obviously quite necessary, as virtually none of the officers in attendance had any idea of the extent of the responsibilities the Act places on police officers when it comes to assisting victims in seeking protection orders and arresting those who violate such orders.

Unfortunately, however, it appears it will be some time before this new knowledge is put to use, as protection orders are simply not being issued – and are very seldom sought – in Ghana today. Further, it seems the police are very reluctant to bring charges under the relatively new DVA, preferring instead to use the criminal law, with which they are much more familiar. The problem with that, of course, is that the Domestic Violence Act was passed specifically to provide new and more effective avenues for combating domestic violence and protecting victims – protection orders being chief among them.

Today also marked Genee’s first day at the Lotus Children’s Centre in the Lartebiokorshie neighbourhood. We’ve both got our fingers crossed that it goes well.