24/7 Crisis Hotline for Victims of Sexual Abuse Launched in Mogadishu

[Duchess]

A crisis hotline 5555 has today been launched in the Somali Capital, Mogadishu for victims of rape and all forms of sexual abuse. Championed by civil society organization, Somali Women Development Centre (SWDC) and the Somali Police Force, the crisis line is expected facilitate timely reporting and response to cases of abuse.

The initiative was launched at a ceremony attended by the Somali Police Force, non-governmental organizations as well as the media. The use of the line has been launched as six-month pilot project limited to Mogadishu’s Banadir region, supported by mobile telephone company Nationlink Telecommunications and is expected to be extended to other parts of the country.

SWDC, an organization that helps victims of abuse says the most prevalent cases have been reported among young girls, boys, women and the elderly.

Sahra Mohamed Ahmed, Legal Adviser with SWDC says the initiative codenamed 5555 Ceebla (Somali for no shame) will be supported by a team of nurses, social workers, investigators and legal officers. Currently, 40 legal officers all graduates of Mogadishu University have been lined up, 25 of whom are female.

“The first step we usually take after receiving a complaint would be liaising with the police and hospitals but now with Ceebla, we will have more facilities and the voiceless girl will now have a voice. We will support the victim in reporting the crime to the police in order to get referral letter to the hospital. We will then bring the doctor’s report or evidence to the police and from there the police will arrest the perpetrator, and then pass the case to the courts,” said Sahra.

She added that dealing with the stigma attached to cases of abuse is also central to the interventions.

“We start with counselling as the victims are traumatised but we don’t stop, we also help them acquire employment. These victims are isolated due the stigma attached to rape; we therefore want them to be re-integrated into the communities. The victims might be mothers, girls or children and we keep in touch with the survivors,” she noted.

Col. Mohamed Dahir Abdulle, Somali Police Force Commander of Waliyow ade station welcomed the initiative and is hopeful that it will greatly impact on the security of the vulnerable members of society.

“This event as was mentioned by SWDC, is about sensitisation on the abuses that happen to Somali girls. We welcome the idea as it will greatly facilitate the security agencies in arresting the criminals that are inflicting abuse on to Somali women who are the most vulnerable, whether they are IDPS, school girls or other victims” said Col. Mohamed.

Ideey Ali, who spoke on behalf internally displaced persons in the AL Adaala IDP Camp expressed confidence that the hotline will go a long way in helping the victims report cases of abuse without fear.

“We thank the Somali Women Development Centre (SWDC) for launching Ceebla hotline because it will provide us with a contact facility should abuse happen to the Somali girls in the IDPS. We appreciate Ceebla as it will make abuse reporting easy” Said Ideey.

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[John Michael]

Well it's at least a start.

 

[Sultana]

Isn't this a matter that the police are supposed to deal with anyway? Nevertheless, I support this initiative and I hope it makes an impact.

 

[bored]

Reporting the crime to the police? The same police that jail women when they report being raped and rape them in jail, jail the journalists who report on it and let the rapists walk free?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-21336599
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/afric...rted-rape-sentenced--2013129133153914393.html

 

[Duchess]

Isn't this a matter that the police are supposed to deal with anyway? Nevertheless, I support this initiative and I hope it makes an impact.

No one trusts the police. They're corrupt af. Here's a case from 2013 where they arrested an alleged rape victim and a journalist for defamation.

The United Nations on Thursday called for a full investigation after police in Somalia arrested an alleged rape victim and the journalist who broadcast her story, the latest in a string of cases where Somalis have been targeted for reporting sexual violence.

Mohammed Bashir, a reporter for Somalia's Radio Shabelle, was arrested along with the unidentified 19-year-old victim on Wednesday, shortly after he interviewed her for the independent station.

During the interview, which was posted on YouTube, the victim claimed she had been raped at gunpoint by two journalists working for the state-owned station Radio Mogadishu.

According to government spokesman Abdirahman Omar Osman, both the victim and Mr Bashir were arrested for defamation.

“Somalia has an independent judiciary and we must allow the police and judiciary to carry out their investigations," he said.

He said that the police have not arrested the men accused of the rape.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...-arrest-alleged-rape-victim-and-reporter.html

 

[Sultana]

I meant that the police are supposed deal with rape cases properly.

At the end of the day, they're still going to refer the victims to the police to get referral letters for the hospital. :/ Tbh, this is a systemic issue and unless there's a complete overhaul in public offices, then not much can change.

 

[Duchess]

Reporting the crime to the police? The same police that jail women when they report being raped and rape them in jail, jail the journalists who report on it and let the rapists walk free?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-21336599
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/afric...rted-rape-sentenced--2013129133153914393.html

What are they supposed to do? Arrest people themselves?

 

[Inactive]

If you are a woman, homosexual, clan minority, disabled/mentally or part of a religious minority in Somalia, you are below livestock. They should all be given immediate protection in safe countries.

 

[bored]

What are they supposed to do? Arrest people themselves?

idk but I don't see why you would trust or put your fate in the hands of the police

 

[KXNG]

If you are a woman, homosexual, clan minority, disabled/mentally or part of a religious minority in Somalia, you are below livestock. They should all be given immediate protection in safe countries.

Damn so a disabled lesbian with mental issues who is a rastafari is in serious danger.

 

[SomaliSpotter]

OK, this is a good step forward but if the police cannot be trusted then what is the next step after the victims contact the 24/7 crisis hot-line? Won't the police be required to go after the perpetrator, arrest them and in the end bring them to justice for due process?

 

[Queen Carawelo]

Police in Africa are easily bribed. The predator will find a way to get out of jail and seek revenge. The biggest problem and joke in Africa are police officers. They don't care about the safety of the citizens. They only work for their stomach.

 

[Shamis]

If you are a woman, homosexual, clan minority, disabled/mentally or part of a religious minority in Somalia, you are below livestock. They should all be given immediate protection in safe countries.

Sad but true.

Plus I would not trust this hot line one tidily wink. They don't have a secure server/network - thats if they even keep electronic records. They should have just launched themselves as a special branch of the police instead of being go betweens.

They're are not fully trained therapists and there is no other support apparatus on hand to offer practical support besides the dodgy cops who's motto is 'whoever hears rape has heard money'. This is still better than no support at all. My only question is the cost and the funding.

 

[ciddhartha]

If you are a woman, homosexual, clan minority, disabled/mentally or part of a religious minority in Somalia, you are below livestock. They should all be given immediate protection in safe countries.

@Duchess believes if there aren't laws on the books that discriminate against women and minorities, "at least we're not Saudi Arabia..."

But then again Sharia influences Somali laws like marriage rights, divorce, inheritance and child custody, which are all discriminatory against women. It's not too far of a stretch to say Somalis probably believe in the 3 or 4 male witnesses to the rape for it to be a legitimate crime worthy of State resources. And if the woman does not hail from a prominent clan in the region (the issue is disproportionately an issue for IDP communities) the victim's chance for justice are almost nill. Why? Because only Somali men can solve an inter/intra clan issue. A woman's chance for justice depends on how many men she has to represent her case.

But, I'm no feminist or anything

 

[Unionist]

As people have commented already, this is good news and a great start, however, the fundamental problem is still being ignored.

 

[John Michael]

f*ck feminism

Sharia this sharia that. You don't know the first thing about sharia Hindi boy.

 

[Shamis]

Police in Africa are easily bribed. The predator will find a way to get out of jail and seek revenge. The biggest problem and joke in Africa are police officers. They don't care about the safety of the citizens. They only work for their stomach.

Afkaa caano lagu qabay.

A well known candidate for 2016 was asked whether or not he would oversee the building of a secure prison (not run by police) and his reply was "we're looking into alternatives to the prison system". He doesn't even want them imprisoned and he's not pro death penalty so this hot line might actually be dangerous for women.