Islamabad - The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police on Friday launched Victim Support Services at the Central Police Office (CPO) Peshawar, to take care of children and women facing violence.

These services are initiated in the province for the purpose to help the KP police to deal with these victims in a dedicated and specialized manner.

According to the statement issued by the KP police these services will initially be implemented in 5 districts, including Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Abbottabad and Swat.

Women police officers especially trained in handling vulnerable victims under DFID program have been made part of the services.

The IG police awarded certificates to the newly trained Victim Support Officers on the completion of their training in the CPO, in the presence of senior police officers including DIG Operations, CCPO Peshawar, RPO Mardan and Additional IG Headquarters and representatives of the Justice System Support Program funded by DFID.

No single agency has the resources, manpower or legal mandate to prevent abuse of children

The KP police will also be recruiting 29 new Victim Support Officers. IG KP police Sanaullah Abbasi while commenting on the newly launched service said that this was an important initiative of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police to improve access to justice for women and children victims, increasing conviction in such crimes, a high level indicator of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rule of Law Roadmap.

He stated that children are the most vulnerable group in society due to their weak level of mental and physical development and the investigation of cases of child abuse are the most complex investigations and require specialized skills.

The IG committed that he will put special emphasis on building the capacity of the investigators dealing with these crimes against children and women.

The IG said that an analysis of international best practices to deal and prevent cases of abuse of children reveals that no single agency has the resources, manpower or legal mandate to prevent abuse of children; it is a multi-dimensional problem which requires a multidisciplinary and multiagency approach.

He said that such victims need support from doctors, therapists, social workers, police, prosecutors, lawyers and the courts.

The IG committed that the KP police will join hands with all the relevant authorities as well as the local communities to prevent abuse of children.

The IG police also stressed upon greater focus on providing such services to the victims in the newly merged districts.