Monrovia – With support the Swedish Police Authority, the Liberia National Police (LNP) has concluded a three-day refresher training on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention for key actors.
The training brought together more than 50 participants including nurses, police officers and social workers.
The training was conducted in Psychosocial Counselling, Human Rights and Peace Model in Investigations.
It sought to derive a coordinated approach amongst law enforcement officers, health workers and social workers for the provision of services to survival of sexual violence as well as strengthen mechanisms for the prosecution of perpetrators of SGBV in Liberia.
Forty-four of the 50 participants, were females.
“This figure shows a fundamental push in our quest to increase women’s participation in the protection of human rights,” said Assistant Commissioner Varney Ali Sheriff, head of the Project Unit, LNP.
Sheriff explained that the participants were drawn from the Women And Children Protection Section (WACPS) assigned at the Zones Six, Eight & 10 police stations, social workers and nurses assigned at the five One Stop Centers (Redemption Hospital, Hope for Women International, James David Hospital, Star of the Sea in West Point and the Duport Road Clinic) in Montserrado County.
The training was a continuation of the Swedish Police Authority’s three-year capacity building of the LNP’s Forensic and Gender Sections.
“The Swedish Police Authority has been strategically supporting the LNP and partners in an effort to enhance the peace and justice,” Sheriff explained.
He noted that this is in concert with the concept of building strong institutions for the actualization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS).
The participants applauded the SPA and the LNP for the training. They described it as “a monumental drive towards combating sexual and gender-based violence in the society.”
An assigned nurse at the James David Hospital, Elizabeth Kerkulah, said the training will further enhance their ability to support survival of SGBVs and deliver quality services to them.
She recounted the renovation done at the Duport Road Clinic by the SPA between 2017 and 2018 which costs over US$2,500.
“In fact, they gave us some Christmas gift many materials to work with,” added Mrs. Kerkulah.
The Desk Officer of the SPA Project for International Development Cooperation, Nikolas Jerkedal, recognized the cooperation between the LNP and the Swedish Government.
Jerkedal encouraged the trainees to improve their coordinating scales and perform beyond expectations at their various work places.
Speaking on behalf of Liberia’s Inspector General of Police, the Deputy Inspector General of Police for Crime Services Department, Intelligence and Interpol, Prince K. Mulbah, extended gratitude to the Swedish Police and the Swedish Embassy for their continuous support in building the capacity of the LNP.
“Sweden has continued to strengthen strategic partnership to the operations of the LNP. We are grateful for this friendship,” Deputy Inspector General Mulbah said.
He then thanked the participants for the efforts they made.
