Rape, Domestic Violence Still High In Ghana – Report

Rape and domestic violence remain serious problems in Ghana.

This is part of the findings of the 2020 Human Rights Report put together by the United States of America.

The report faulted authorities for not enforcing existing laws on rape and domestic violence.

These findings captured under section six of the 2020 Human rights report centres on discrimination, societal abuses, and trafficking.

Touching on women rape and domestic violence, the report highlighted work by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service with the Department of Social Welfare, CHRAJ, Legal Aid, and many other human rights NGOs in helping to address rape and domestic violence in Ghana.

It stated that inadequate logistical capacity for DOVVSU and other agencies, including the absence of private rooms to speak with victims, are some hindrances to the full application of the law.

Also, pervasive cultural beliefs in female roles, as well as socio-cultural norms and stereotypes, pose additional challenges to combatting domestic violence.

The report revealed that unless specifically called upon by the DOVVSU, police seldom intervened in cases of domestic violence, partly due to a lack of counselling skills and shelter facilities to assist victims.

The report added that, a few of the cases in which police identified and arrested suspects for rape or domestic abuse did not result in any conviction due to witness unavailability, inadequate training on investigatory techniques and police prosecutor case mismanagement.

DOVVSU, according to the report, also said lack of resources on the part of victims and their families to pursue the cases contributed to low or no conviction in rape cases.