The Liberia National Police has signed an MOU with Medica Liberia to integrate Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), utilizing the stress and trauma-sensitive approach, in dealing with SGBV cases in the basic police training curriculum at the Liberia National Police Academy and Training School.
This, according to the MOU signed between the LNP and Medica Liberia, will help the police to be equipped in handling SGBV-related cases.
The LNP curriculum will incorporate essential topics, including investigation of SGBV cases, provision of trauma-sensitive services, child-related GBV, human trafficking, domestic violence, and harmful traditional practices.
Medica Liberia is a women’s rights organization that provides SGBV cases for survivors of Gender Based violence, amongst others. One of the major cornerstones of Medica Liberia’s approach is its commitment to quality response services that prioritize the safety and protection of women and girls.
Over the years, Medica Liberia has conducted trauma-sensitive SGBV trainings for officers of the Liberian National Police, specifically within the Women and Children Protection Section.
While the trainings have had positive impacts, there have also been lapses, thus needing a more institutionalized approach.
In this direction, ML and the LNP will work collaboratively to integrate SGBV within the Police Academy Curriculum. The objective is to expand capacity-building programs and provide the knowledge and skills required to combat SGBV into the very core of law enforcement.
Police Inspector General, Patrick L. Sudue, signed on behalf of the Liberia National Police, while Atty. Yah Vallah Parwon, Director of Medica Liberia, signed on behalf of Medica Liberia.
At a press conference held on September 1, 2023, at the LNP headquarters, key stakeholders, including Medica Liberia; the Liberia National Police; the Judiciary Training Institute (JI); the Women and Children Protection Section (WACPS); the Liberia National Police Training Academy; Duport Road Health Center, One Stop Center; the Ministry of Justice, SGBV Crimes Unit, and more, came together to brief the media and the general public about the details and expected impact of the MOU.
Representing the Inspector General, Deputy Commissioner of Police and Chief Legal Counsel of the Liberia National Police, Peter K. Gbanyah, read the preamble of the MOU on behalf of the LNP.
He also stressed the importance of the MOU in the development and training of new recruits at the Liberia National Police Training Academy. He highlighted the commitment of the Inspector General of the LNP to the MOU and promised to work closely with Medica Liberia in fulfilling the clauses of the MOU.
Atty. Gbanyah resounded the importance of collaboration with partners to ensure the safety and security of the Liberian People.
“As you know, the LNP is the premiere institution that runs internal security of the state, and one of our functions is collaboration. In the absence of collaboration, the LNP cannot work efficiently. So, I am happy to see Medica Liberia collaborating with the LNP, especially with the Women and Children Protection Section (WACPS),” said Gbanyah.
Deputy Police Commissioner of Training and Manpower Development at the LNP Training Academy, Moses Tamba Sebor II, represented Commissioner Jarty Kollie Golafaley. He commended Medica Liberia for their initiative and emphasized the importance of this program for the development of the police force’s human resources.
Duannah M. D. Boakai, Special Assistant Chief of Section of the Women and Children Protection Section, spoke on behalf of Assistant Commissioner Susie Telleh, and described the signing as a great milestone for the WACPS division, especially when it comes to their sustainability plan.
He thanked the National Police Training Academy for welcoming the idea and for working closely with Medica Liberia to include SGBV/STA in the national Police training Curriculum.
For her part, Atty. Yah V. Parwon, Country Director – Medica Liberia, spoke on behalf of Medica Liberia. She extended appreciation to the Women and Children Protection Section of the Liberia National Police, and the Police Training Academy. She recommitted Medica Liberia’s drive in ensuring safety and protection for women, girls, and children, through the delivery of quality response services.
“As we come together to commemorate the signing of this MOU between Medica Liberia and The Liberia National Police, this occasion reflects our collective pursuit for justice and human rights in Liberia, with focus on our commitment to eradicating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Liberia,” Parwon said.
Medica Liberia, formerly Medica Mondiale Liberia, is a non-governmental women’s rights organization working in Liberia. The organization works with survivors of Gender-Based violence and provides a holistic stress and trauma-sensitive approach that incorporates health, legal, and psychosocial approaches, based on feminist principles.
