ACCESS TO PARALEGAL AID SERVICES AT ONE STOP CENTRE
The One-Stop Center is a government initiative that provides services to children, women and men who are survivors of physical and sexual violence.
In 2018, owing to a high prevalence rate of sexual violence offences and lack of trial progress on the sexual violence cases against children, CHREAA in collaboration with partners at OSC ( Social welfare, police, QECH) designed a project with interventions that aimed at combating the increasing cases of sexual violence offences in Blantyre, particularly against children. Apart from aiming to end the increasing cases of child sexual abuse, the project was also designed to address challenges victimized children of sexual violence face when they are about to access justice and health services when sexually assaulted.
Key successes under this project during the 2017-2019 project implementation period include;
- A total of 540 cases of sexual violence offences against children were reported and victims were assisted by medical, police, paralegal and social welfare as service providers at One-Stop Center representing a 17% high increase of reported cases at OSC compared to previous years.
- An 8% increase in the total number of secured convictions against offenders f sexual violence cases was registered.
- 1% reduction of withdrawals on cases of sexual violence against children during the trial compared to previous years.
Most success is attributed to civic education to the masses as well as advocacy among all key stakeholders.