The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana police service in the northern region have cautioned residents in the region especially, women to be security conscious when boarding taxis. DOVVSU’s caution follows a recent gang rape phenomenon that has hit the metropolis.
The rape syndicates embarked on raping spree some time now in the Tamale metropolis using taxis under the pretext of giving young ladies lift to their destinations.
The syndicates have so far succeeded in raping a number of unsuspected young girls by luring them into the dastardly act normally either at the Tamale polytechnic area forest or at the NOBISCO forest in the Sagnarigu district.
An unidentified group has been terrorizing young ladies in the metropolis which compels some traders living in those areas to close their shops early to avert being lured.
Speaking to Zaa News in an interview, the Northern Regional Coordinator of Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit, ASP Emmanuel Holortu said the police have arrested one taxi driver in connection with the incident (name withheld) and are on the hills of the other suspects.
The taxi driver he explained picked the victim from the school of hygiene area along Tamale-Bolga road and sent them to obscured place. Police interrogation he explained revealed that the taxi driver was not directly connected in the rape act. He said the police are in search of the perpetrators of those involved in the act.
Giving statistics on rape cases and defilement in the region, ASP Holortu said, DOVVSU received 10 cases of rape and 38 cases of defilement of young girls aged below 16 in 2013.
ASP Holortu blamed the increasing number of defilement on parents’ lukewarm attitudes towards reporting the cases to the police.
Comparing defilement cases in 2012 to 2013, ASP Holortu said, there was a huge jump, from 23 in 2012 to 38 last year.
The DOVVSU Coordinator attributed the increased to several factors including people reluctant in reporting rape and defilement cases to the police adding, people like dealing with such cases from family, community and their personal level instead reporting it. He said the public now have courage to report cases to DOVVSU because of sensitization that the unit has embarked upon.
On parent’s responsibility, ASP Holotu said a lot parents are becoming neglectful and that they are living their responsibility over the control of their children to school authorities and the society.
He therefore advised parents to go back to the old practice of being responsible to their children and not hide under modern time and human rights issues while their children become wayward.
For the passengers, ASP Holortu said if they are not sure whose vehicle they are bordering at odd hours they should remain home before they are been sent to obscured places where they abused them sexually.
He also urged passengers to take note commercials vehicles especially, taxi numbers when bordering them to their destinations for their own safety and also easy trace by police if any unfortunate incident happens. He lamented that Ghanaians are not security conscious and it is a general apathy which need to be change.
By Ibrahim Dikunyalala/zaaradio.com
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