The Western Regional Division of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, has recorded 421 crime cases for the first half of the year. The Regional Coordinator of the DOVVSU, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Lawrence Gbele, who disclosed this in an interview with GNA in Sekondi on Tuesday, said assault against women have increased. He explained that some mothers of children born outside wedlock were beaten when they went to fathers (of the children) for money for the upkeep of their children. ASP Gbele said DOVVSU recorded 48 cases in January, 89 cases in February, 60 in March, 89 cases in April, 71 cases in May and 64 cases in June. He appealed to the authorities to provide the Unit with logistics and vehicles to enable it to carry out its operations effectively, especially the education of the public on domestic violence. ASP Gbele lamented that at the moment the Western Regional office of the DOVVSU has not receive any budget allocation from the DOVVSU head office in Accra for its outreach programmes. He said “Apart from this challenge, the District Assemblies have not been supportive at all. Last year, we applied to eight District Assemblies to support us organize education programmes, but only one District Assembly supported us”. ASP Gbele said DOVVSU would partner individuals, non-governmental organizations, religious groups and civil society organizations to educate the public on domestic violence. He appealed to the public to support the Unit in arresting and prosecuting perpetuators of domestic violence. ASP Gbele expressed worry that “Some people abandon cases reported to us and we find it difficult getting them to be witnesses in court and some cases have been struck off due to lack of witnesses“. Source: GNA