The facility was donated by the Embassy of Japan, as part of its contribution towards end violence against children agenda led by the government of Botswana and UNICEF.
The main aim of the child friendly police station is to create a conducive environment for reporting and responding to cases of violence against children (VAC). The centre will be manned by police officers trained to handle children and VAC issues.
The donation of the child friendly centre came at an appropriate time as the second phase of E Seng Mo Ngwaneng campaign focuses on encouraging communities to report VAC cases to authorities including the police, social workers and Childline helpline. “Defilement and abuse of children often happen in the household and the perpetrators are known to children, which makes it difficult for them to speak out or report.
In 2018, we conducted a study that revealed that children are scared of reporting cases of abuse because of how they will be treated when they go to the police station, that is why this centre is important because it is a way in which the governments of Botswana and Japan along with UNICEF have come together to bring services to the children and make it easier for them to report,” Dr Joan Matji, UNICEF Representative said.
On the occasion of the launch ceremony, MURAI Makiko, Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy of Japan in Botswana, delivered a message that, “I hope these police stations will successfully provide a safe haven for children in distress and help them to ассеѕs јuѕtісе.
To realise this goal, police officers’ role is key in order to alleviate the situation. Even after the pandemic came to gradually fade out, violence against children in Botswana has remained a widely persistent issue in the country.” Other child friendly police stations were launched in Shakawe, Gaborone, Francistown, Lobatse and Letlhakane.
The government of Japan supported the establishment of Shakawe, Letlhakane and Ghanzi stations.
