13 Dec 2020

Botswana Police Services (BPS) has launched a pilot child friendly interview centre at Broadhurst police in Gaborone.

Speaking during the launch on Thursday, the First Lady, Ms Neo Masisi said the launch of the facility came at a time when government paid particular attention to the need to act collectively in an effort to end Gender Based Violence (GBV). 

Ms Masisi said the facility was  an invaluable investment that would go a long way in addressing GBV affecting children by making them more comfortable when reporting cases or making statements.

She noted that commemoration of the Day of the African Child 2020 under the theme: Access to a Child-Friendly Justice System in Africa, advocated for child friendly spaces which gave the young victims and their families assurance of safety and that the law enforcement and justice system was there for them, to make sure that their rights to justice were exercised fully, while they remained comfortable after a traumatising experience.

She said it was pleasing, that BPS had started responding to the call. “I care deeply about children and so i take this opportunity to express my gratitude on behalf of our children for this ground-breaking intervention,” she said.

The First Lady indicated that GBV had become an issue of international concern, adding that Botswana was equally affected. “This is not something that we should tolerate as a respectable nation, it goes totally against our culture of Botho and compassion,” she added.

She encouraged all stakeholders involved in ending the scourge, to play their part in order to complement police efforts in the fight against GBV, noting that the community should ensure that no cases of GBV went unreported.

For his part Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Kagiso Mmusi applauded BPS for making sure that the rights of children were protected, noting that the launch of the centre was confirmation of the organisation’s resolve to leave no stone unturned in achieving efficiency in attending to crime relating to young people.

He said the event was demonstration of the BPS’s ability to adapt to ever changing law enforcement landscape, adding that his ministry fully supported the fight against GBV.

Commissioner of BPS, Mr Keabetswe Makgophe indicated that the facility represented their latest efforts in addressing GBV, especially as it related to the abuse of children. 

He noted that the pilot was planned to start in Gaborone, with the ultimate intention of rolling the centres out to other areas across the country.

The main objective, he said was to create a conducive environment for interviewing child victims. He further highlighted that BPS planned to establish a dedicated gender and child protection unit by the beginning of the next financial year to ensure professional handling of domestic violence and sexual offences relating to children and other vulnerable groups.

Mr Makgophe said the success and effectiveness of GBV initiatives was highly dependent on the fruitful partnership and support of all stakeholders including the community.  Ends