Police need better domestice violence reporting process - Awam

 

All Women’s Action Society (Awam) has called on the police to provide a safer reporting process for domestic violence survivors as the force plays an essential role in handling gender-based violence cases.

This can be done by ensuring high visibility and awareness of officers in domestic violence case management, conducting gender sensitivity training as well as knowledge and gender-based violence (GBV) awareness and case management training.

Awam said this after Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Abdul Jalil Hassan said disciplinary action would be taken against officers who refuse to receive reports on domestic violence.

Abdul had said that the police force had issued several instructions on handling investigations involving domestic violence cases.

In a statement, Awam said that while they appreciated the police taking this issue seriously, they questioned if institutionalised processes have been undertaken to ensure sustainable officer access to and retention of disciplinary action instructions.

“Are these instructions enshrined in a document and displayed in a highly visible area physically in the police station or a webpage that is easily accessible to all police officers?

“Are these instructions incorporated in briefings to police officers at all levels on a regular basis whilst ensuring that they are adequately aware of and understand the instruction content?” it asked.

According to Awam, the refusal to receive reports is usually due to the assumption that gender-based violence survivors would eventually withdraw the report. This assumption is usually shaped by officers’ past situations in dealing with survivors.

However, the NGO added that police insensitivity, such as displaying unempathetic, dismissive, or victim-blaming behaviour and lack of knowledge and awareness of GBV, is also a common reason for case attrition.

“Police insensitivity, as well as lack of knowledge and awareness of GBV and corresponding case management, can result in case attrition as survivors decide to either not pursue further action or drop the case entirely.

“Such suboptimal realities can also constitute a key factor that perpetuates underreporting due to fear by survivors of re-victimisation or distrust that they will be taken seriously by the police,” Awam said.

Awam also expressed interest in working with the police to conduct collaborative training to ensure that domestic violence victims and survivors can access redress in a safe and stigma-free manner. - Mkini