By Colleen Barilae – EM TV News, Lae
Over 40 cases of sexual violence are reported to the Family and Sexual Violence Unit at Lae’s police station in one day.
Officer in Charge of the Sexual Offences Squad, Ruth Murup, says the unit works alongside Morobe’s Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee to support sexual offence victims’ rights and welfare.
Both organisations work in partnership to educate communities on how to legally deal with sexual offenders.
This year, Lae’s Family and Sexual Violence Unit recorded an average 43 assault cases per day since the month of January.
The unit has been dealing with offences of assault, insult, and behaviors like use of abusive words, obscene text messages and child abuse acts.
OIC Sergeant Ruth Murup has revealed that FSV Unit receives complaints from both female and male complainants.
In a couple of joint meetings held this year with Morobe’s Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee, Lae’s FSV Unit has contributed ideas in policies that will be protecting the welfare of sexual offence victims.
Following a recently launched Referral Guideline by National Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee to support the welfare of survivors of family and sexual violence, Lae’s FSVU has been referring family and sexual violence victims to safe houses.
That guideline came to be after there were cases where family and sexual violence victims’ needs were not fully met due to no proper communication from their service providers.
Between January and September 2015, Lae’s FSVU recorded that assault offences had the highest number of cases and complainants. Those who lodged the complaints were mostly women and girls.
Legal support is being provided to victims FSV victims by referring their cases to the courts.
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