Chairman of the Gender Response Initiative in Bayelsa State, Dr. Dise Goddy-Harry has commended the State Government for the decision to set up a sexual assault referal centre and the safe space for victims of gender violence and assault in the state.
According to Dr. Goddy-Harry, the centres will help to provide protection and cover for victims of gender based violence especially sexual abuse on children, describing it as a welcome development.
The Chairman of the State Gender Response Team (GRIT), Dr. Dise Goddy-Harry, in a statement issued on Thursday after the commissioning of the safe space and Sexual assault referal 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 it’s 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 referal centre has come to correct such abnomalies.”
“Also with the Safe space and SARC centre, victims, survivors, who are star witnesses in court, will be protected from intimidation, threats and unecessary harrasment 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 center 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. Dise Goddy-Harry, who is also a legal practitioner, described the state advocacy group, GRIT, as being fufilled over the establishment of the safe centres 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 practice or standard.”
