Launch emergency helpline for Domestic Violence – Rev. Kwateng

Renowned Relationship Counsellor Rev. Kwame Kwateng is calling for the Ghana Police Service to launch and actively publicize an emergency helpline for victims of domestic violence.

The host of ‘Building Relationships’, a flagship afternoon relationship programme on Ultimate FM, believes this will be a potent measure to save spouses who are physically attacked and abused by their partners sometimes leading to deaths.

Rev Kwateng questioned why services like the ambulance and the fire service had emergency numbers when an institution like the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Police service which attends to another threat of dangers like spousal murders does not have a similar emergency line.

“I am going on all radio platforms across the country and I will stage press conferences to advocate for this because DOVVSU has to sit up and give us a three digit number for the domestic victims,” he stated.

He further beckoned the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to collaborate with the DOVVSU to generate such a number which he suggests should be championed on all media platforms across the country.

He appealed, “Please give us some digits that if my wife or husband is going wild, if he or she is threatening suicide because he feels I am getting on his nerves or I am a child, my daddy and my mummy are fighting and they are using clubs and irons to hit themselves, I can call and seek help.”

Rev. Kwame Kwateng also advised that spouses take seriously, signs of an imminent attack and threats issued by their partners and act appropriately before things get out of hand.

He advised, “If you are married and you are frequently threatened by your partner; times when your husband or your wife will hit you with a stick or something and you find yourself dazed or in a trauma. If your spouse keeps telling you if you don’t leave my house, I will kill myself; if your partner threatens to poison you or is one who gets angry and threatens to burn things and even threatens to pour acid on you, you should be careful.”

“You can talk to parents, pastors, a counsellor, a family lawyer, a clinical psychologist, a therapist, or go to DOVVSU.”

The then Ministry of Women and Children Affairs under Hajia Alima Mahama in the year 2007 launched a similar emergency code called the child help line.

The toll free line 1622 is however not functional as all calls made to this line as at publishing time were unsuccessful.