THE CHIEF Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, has lamented that due to resource constraints, only a fraction of gender-based violence cases mostly against women and children, get to see conviction.
The Chief Justice made the observation last Friday at Dormaa Ahenkro when he inaugurated one of ten children friendly gender-based violence courts needed to deal with abuse of children in particular.
The child-friendly court is fitted with a testifying room, playing room stocked with books and toys for use by children as they wait for court proceedings.
At a short ceremony chaired by Dormaahene, Osagyefo Osadeoyo Agyemang Badu II, the Chief Justice said a study undertaken by his outfit indicated that only a fraction of gender-based violence in the Ghanaian society get to conviction, and noted it was as a result of resource constraints.
He said other ancillary services required to guide a judge to make effective progress on a case of abuse such as acquiring medical report, forensic and other social services are not available.
Justice Anin-Yeboah was therefore elated the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is assisting the Judicial Service to equip some ten circuit courts including the Dormaa Circuit Court to make it child-friendly for victims of gender-based violence, saying “this court is fitted to address age-appropriate children to ease their burden as they go through the judicial system.”
According to the CJ, the Judicial Service is working to shift focus from practicing adult-oriented system to a more child-friendly system to cater for children in conflict with the law, “especially those who are abused, and this is in response to calls to address promptly delays in the hearing of cases, especially sexual abuse cases.”
“I am excited that a child or survivor would not have to encounter a perpetrator physically in this court due to the technological mechanisms that have been introduced which include a two-way CCTV system. Further, this court is fitted with a direct transcription system which will facilitate the recording of proceedings at the court in real-time so that same would be available by close of the day,” he said.
The Dormaahene, Osagyefo Osadeoyo Agyeman Badu, a High Court judge, was full of praises for the Chief Justice for leading reformation in judicial infrastructure.
He warned the public against domestic violence and said the courts are in a position to deal with anyone who falls foul of the law.
Hilda Mensah, a child rights activist with UNICEF who spoke on behalf of the organisation disclosed close to 15,000 cases of violence against children are reported to law enforcement every year, and said it requires justice sector actors to put in mechanisms to create a protective environment for children.
She said recent data showed 38 per cent of girls aged 15-19 years reported having experienced at least one act of sexual violence, and said out of 72 Circuit Courts in the country, UNICEF in conjunction with the Judicial Service has made 18 of them children and gender-responsive courts.
FROM Daniel Y Dayee, Dormaa Ahenkro