Police officers in Elgon Region have been equipped with skills on how to prevent and respond effectively to Gender Based Violence and Violence Against Children cases.
A two-day workshop was held in Mbale District.
The Head of Child and Family Protection Department, SSP Maureen Atuhaire said Mbale according to the Annual Police Crime report of 2020 registered high cases of Domestic Violence and Defilement cases. Other cases included child neglect.
“Elgon Region has the highest number of Child and Family Protection Officers that haven’t been trained in this field. This is the reason we decided to conduct the training here in Mbale,” SSP Atuhaire said.
“So, the training is intended to equip you with knowledgeandpractical skills on how to ably prevent and respond to cases of Gender Based Violence and Child Abuse.
Speaking on the sidelines of the training, SSP Atuhaire said that, “We are training them on their roles in investigating cases of child abuse and domestic violence with specific reference to the existing legal framework for example the Children Act (as amended), Penal Code Act, Domestic Violence Act, Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act among others . The officers will also be trained on diversion, a mechanism for dealing with children in conflict with the law who commit minor offences liketheft, malicious damage, criminal trespass, affray among others.
Diversion guidelines were put in place by the Inspector General of Police in 2018 as provided for under the Children Act, 2016 (amended) Section 89 (1), to help police officers dispose of minor cases involving children without recourse to formal justice in order to give children an opportunity to promote their rehabilitation, enable them realize their mistakes and refrain from committing crimes.
SSP Atuhaire said there are plans underway to have the training rolled throughout the country.
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