By Grace Q. Bryant
The Association of Female lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), partnering Community Healthcare Initiative and Liberia Association of Psychosocial Services, with support from the Dignity Danish Institute against Torture, has concluded a one-day training for law enforcement officers on the domestic violence Act and the referral pathway, as a response to eradicating domestic violence in Liberia.
The program, which was held at Corina Hotel in Sinkor, Monrovia, brought together officers, including Immigration, LNP, Fire service, LNBA, women group associations, and female lawyers’ associations across the country.
Giving the overview of the program with special statements, Atty. Philomena T. Williams said it is critical to note that Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) continue to rise and remain prevalent in Liberia.
According to her, the Women and Children Protection Section (WACPS) of the Liberia National Police has reported that the courts dropped 50 percent of reported domestic violence cases due to lack of evidence.
She noted that AFELL, with support from the Danish Institute Against Torture (DIGNITY), is conducting the workshop to train officers on the Domestic Violence Act, in order to bring relief for the victims of domestic violence in Liberia and to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.
“We want to again emphasize that the Domestic Violence Act requires public education on the subject, expand the ability of law enforcement officers to assist survivors/victims and to enforce the law electively in cases of domestic violence,” she expressed.
She maintained that with the global campaign on the 16 Days of Action Against Gender Based Violence to eliminate Violence against women, AFELL stands ready and prepared to institute firm actions to eradicate all forms of violence against women.
“We have worked for over twenty-nine years, advocating to eliminate all forms of violence against women and children in Liberia, and have condemned compromising abuse and violence by family members and community leaders, we will continue our advocacy until no woman or child is abused,” she added.
She further explained that the training is intended to strengthen and empower enforcement professionals to protect members of the communities around Liberia from harm, and to be diligent in their skills and adopt new approaches to enforce the Act effectively in cases of domestic violence.
“The Domestic Violence Act is a legal instrument to combat violence against women, but the enforcement of the Act has been a challenge. If we must execute definite actions to prevent violence against women, provisions under the act must be enforced and the enforcement process begins with law enforcement officers,” she noted.
She continued that it is important to train law enforcement officers on how to gather and preserve evidence critical to the enforcement of the Domestic Violence Act.
“As law enforcement officers, our primary responsibility is to protect life and property. You are therefore obligated to fairly and impartially enforce the Domestic Violence Act. Also, in the enforcement of the Act, please be reminded of Chapter l2A(l)of the Penal code,” she encouraged.
Quoting the Chapter, “A person is guilty of hindering law enforcement if he purposely interferers with, hinders, delays, or prevents the discovering, apprehension, prosecution, conviction or punishment of another for an offense by: (a) Harboring or concealing the other: (b) Providing the other with a weapon, money, transportation, disguise or other means of avoiding discovery or apprehension; (c) Concealing, altering, milting or destroying a document or thing, regardless of its admissibility in evidence; or (d) Warning the other of impending discovery or apprehension.”
However, the Head of the Board of Directors – Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia, Cllr. Felicia Coleman, said the training looked at the domestic violence and how law enforcement officers can respond to domestic violence and all other forms of violence against individuals, especially women and children.
According to her, the Association of Female Lawyers has, for 29 years, tried to reduce violence against women, and in 2019, had the passage of domestic violence Act of 2019. She added that AFELL was founded in 1994 and the purpose was to respond to the high rate of violence against women that existed.
