Police unit needs office

By SYLVESTER WEMURU
POLICE officers attending to complaints of family and sexual violence cases need to have a separate office space instead of attending to complaints with the normal shift police officers because the cases were sensitive and a victim’s privacy is important, an officer says.
Police director of Family and Sexual Violence Unit (FSVU) Chief Insp Delilah Sandeka said cases of sexual abuse were reported to police everyday but they needed adequate office space and logistics to attend to all complaints.
Sandeka was pleased when she received information that the Port Moresby Rotary Club would help a Kwikila police station in Central province build office space for the FSVU .
She said FSVU victims needed privacy to tell their stories.
Director of Community Service for the Port Moresby Rotary Club Adam Hughes said with the campaign that they started in 2017 to say no to family and sexual violence in the country, they wanted to help the FSVU police unit by providing office space for them.
He said in 2017 they assisted the town police station in building an office space and now they wanted to do the same at the Kwikala police station.
“I know that the victims of sexual assault cases will not tell everything to a police officer who attends to them when they are surrounded by male police officers.
“They need privacy to reveal everything so the investigator will have enough information to proceed with the investigation leading to the arrest of the suspect.”
Hughes said he saw there was a need for all police stations to have office space for victims of violence.
He said he had discussed that with Sandeka and they would start to work on the new office space.
Central police station commander Chief Supt Joannes Yapi also acknowledged assistance from the Rotary club.
Yapi said there were many FSVU cases in the villages but they were not reported to the police.
He said when the office was completed, people would feel free to come forward to report because there was privacy for them to discuss such sensitive issues affecting their lives.