By Julie Badui Owa – EMTV News, Lae
More than 17,000 cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) were reported to the Femili Support Centre in Lae (Morobe Province) from 2007 to 2017. That’s an average of 1,700 cases per year.
Officer in charge of the centre, Anastasia Wakon, said most of these cases are intimate partner violence, child abuse and sexual violence. According to their statistics, 7 out of 10 cases are related to sexual violence against children. Over 20 cases of Gender Based Violence are reported daily to the Femili Support Centre in Lae. Most of the victims are children and women. Physical Violence cases are frequently reported.
Anastacia Wakon of the Femili Support Centre, says they often have to refer some of the cases to the Emergency Unit and the Operation Theater for Surgeons to attend to. The victims report all forms of sexual violence cases. What is also alarming is that the centre is recording more offenders who are young, ranging from the ages of 11 to 19.
Wakon said one victim of a sexual violence case was only 2 years and 8 months old. These nurses have also attended to victims who have come into Lae from other districts in Morobe and some from the Highlands region to seek help from this centre. Wakon has called on the public to change their attitude and help minimise Gender Based Violence. She has also called on the implementers of the Gender Based Violence Policy, to help fund the policy in order to make it effective.
