Momodou

Denmark
11737 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2007 : 18:00:44
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IGP BEMOANS INABILITY TO ENFORCE WOMEN’S PROTOCOL By Modou Nyang
The Police lack the legal instrument to effectively enforce the Women’s Protocol due to the non domestication of the document, said Musa Mboob, the Inspector General of Police. According to the IGP, the Police have been dealing with cases relating to the Protocol, but because it has not been domesticated by law makers, they have not been able to effectively prosecute offenders.
Delivering a paper at a symposium marking the first anniversary of the coming into force of the Protocol of the African Charter on the Rights of Women at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, the Police IG said laws and legal enforcement mechanisms are critical if the Police are to hold offenders accountable and keep Women safe. He said “to effectively deal with this issue, laws and legal enforcement mechanisms are critical component(s) of our effort to keep women safe and hold all offenders accountable for violent behaviour”. According to IG Mboob, the Police is one of the most important stakeholders in the drive to enforce the Protocol and called on Police Officers to immediately act upon receiving complaints of such nature.
The Inspector General of Police also lamented the negative influence of culture in enabling the Police to try Women rights offenders. He asserted that Women often seek to withdraw cases when they learn that the abuser may be punished by a monetary fine or imprisonment. “This has been a factor that is greatly hindering progress,” he lamented. The IG stated that his institution has recently created a Human Rights Unit with a view to not only arresting and prosecuting offenders but also to enable the proper handling of issues of violation of the rights of vulnerable persons in our society.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues Issue No. 001/2007, 3-4 January, 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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