   |
|
Misanet.com / The Chronicle, 21 December - The National Coordinator for Women and Law in Southern Africa Malawi Chapter, Seodi White has said it is paramount that investigators and prosecutors in the police service should be conversant with gender issues if they are to discharge their duties efficiently. White said research carried out by WLSA on the justice delivery systems in Malawi revealed that the Police Service is one of the structures that people depend on in administering justice. - It was discovered that lack of knowledge on gender issues in the police affect the procedures and the treatment of female victims. There is therefore a need to train the police on gender and violence against women, said White. She was speaking last week in Lilongwe at a two day workshop for police prosecutors and investigators on the police and violence against women. White observed that some of the police¹s perspectives on gender concepts and violence against women are flawed and the police fail to provide women friendly services whenever they (women) fall victims to violence. However, the participants observed that there is a need to change some of the procedures that are followed when hearing cases brought before the courts involving issues of violence against women. - As much as we may want to assist victims efficiently, some of the procedures fail us. You will find that at the police station, we interrogated the victim in privacy and she was free to talk to us. But it will not be same when we go to court where the victim is supposed to give evidence in public, said Assistant Commissioner James Semu. He said cases involving violence against women should be heard in privacy in the same manner as cases involving juveniles are conducted. This will enable witnesses to give evidence freely. But research findings by WLSA discovered that as much as the police are required to take on all matters of a criminal nature, when it comes to issues of domestic violence they became selective. WLSA gender officer, Maggie Chipasula said in one instance a police officer admitted that they would try to resolve the matter between the two spouses or would dissuade the woman from taking furthersteps. Chipasula said there was a case whereby a woman was being assisted by a lawyer to seek police protection against a spouse who was beating her up badly using objects like hose pipes and otherthings. "The police refused to assist and instead called the woman aside and scolded her for wasting both the police¹s and the lawyer¹s time instead of settling the family dispute with the ankhoswe," she said. The workshop, is a series of workshops WLSA is conducting to sensitize police investigators and prosecutors on gender issues. It drew participants from across the whole country. By Don Kulapani, The Chronicle (Malawi)
|
