July 06, (THEWILL) – Bayelsa State Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT) has commended the State Government over the decision to set up a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) and a safe space for victims of gender-based violence and assault in the State.
Chairman of the advocacy group, Dr. Dise Goddy-Harry, said the centre will help to provide protection and cover for victims of gender-based violence, especially sexually abused children, describing it as a welcome development.
Dr. Goddy-Harry, in a statement issued on Thursday, after the commissioning of the safe space and Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Yenagoa, described the establishment of the centre as a new birth in the battle to curtail cases of sexual violence and provide succour to victims.
According to her, “With this new birth, a victim of sexual abuse will not be at the mercy of its perpetrator as it used to be the case where such victims are returned to their abusers or to the same environment where they were abused. The safe space and Sexual Assault Referral Centre have come to correct such anomalies.
“Also, with the safe space and SARC, victims, and survivors, who are star witnesses in court, will be protected from intimidation, threats and unnecessary harassment by the perpetrator or interested parties, who are related to the alleged perpetrator.
“This is also a confidence booster for the survivor, who knows that there is hope for him or her as the SARC is a one-stop centre where all seasoned professionals are all under one roof, proffering immediate solutions to any survivor brought into the centre or home and data collation will also become easy.”
Dr. Goddy-Harry, who is also a legal practitioner, described the state advocacy group as being fulfilled over the establishment of the safe centre as specifically spelt out in the violence against persons prohibition law 2021.
She commended the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri and the First Lady, Dr. Gloria Diri, for their commitment to the safety and welfare of the girl child and protection against abuse.
“This is one of the intervention strategies to curb gender-based Violence cases globally and we are glad that our state too can now be included to be one that has met up with International best practices or standards,” she said.
