Family, sexual violence offenders may be forced to have counselling

By PHOEBE GWANGILO
THOSE who commit family and sexual violence offences in Morobe are likely to be ordered by the courts to have counselling, says Lae Metropolitan Superintendent Anthony Wagambie.
This will include men convicted of domestic violence crimes.
Wagambie, who is also the chairman of the Morobe Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee Secretariat, said he had tried this on his staff who were perpetrators and after counselling those officers showed appreciation.
He said he would recommend to district court magistrates to force perpetrators to have counselling.
“In a way, we create a win-win situation for both parties (the victim and the perpetrator),” Wagambie said.
“I think such approach will encourage women to come forth to seek justice which in most cases they drop in fear of their husbands being sent to prison.”
These women survivors will know there is an avenue for change and will not feel threatened after the courts find the perpetrators guilty.
“We have a lot of reported cases but lack of arrests and convictions have led survivors being threatened, intimidated and so forth,” the Morobe top cop said.
He said that after the perpetrators had been counselled they “could become male advocates for GBV and FSV in their respective communities”.
“The training worked for my policemen who were identified by my FSV units as perpetrators, so we then arranged for their male advocacy training which was funded by JSS4D (Justice Service and Stability for Development),” he said.