Stakeholders call for technology-based evidence gathering to combat SGBV — Features — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

Justice sector stakeholders have advocated for the use of technology to collect and document evidence to combat sexual and gender-based violence in Nigeria.

According to them, this is a crucial step in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of delivering justice in cases of sexual and gender-based violence across the country.

They noted that inadequate evidence collection and documentation significantly hindered the prosecution and conviction of sexual and gender-based violence cases, leading to less successful outcomes.

They, therefore, called on all critical stakeholders, including the private sector, non-governmental organizations, government agencies such as the Nigerian Police Force, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and others, to leverage various technological solutions in the region. Management of SGBV cases.

Speaking in Abuja, during the 10th Sexual Assault Referral Centers (SARCs) Network Conference organized by the European Union-funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Response Unit, Judge Rahman Oshodi, Judge of the Lagos State High Court, revealed that the Lagos State Judiciary has adopted various technological solutions to improve the adjudication of sexual gender-based violence cases, including case management systems, evidence collection and management, and crime scene documentation.

He said: “Integrating digital case management systems, e-filing and digital evidence collection and documentation, as exemplified by the initiatives of the Lagos State Judiciary, can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of gender-based violence justice delivery.

“In particular, the use of the Scriber application for real-time police video recording and transcribing of statements should be encouraged to ensure accurate recording and preservation of evidence.”

He explained that the management of the criminal justice system in all states must adopt a holistic approach to ensure positive justice outcomes for victims of SGBV.

“The establishment of specialized Gender-Based Violence courts with trained staff, victim-focused facilities and technological adaptations such as video conferencing is critical to ensuring a responsive and effective justice process for victims of Gender-Based Violence.

“Meticulous investigation and trial preparation, including witness preparation, anticipating defense strategies and clearly articulating all legal elements, is essential to successful SGBV prosecutions,” he added.

In his remarks, Felix Awoniyi, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Ekiti State Ministry of Justice, emphasized that investigation is very central to the successful prosecution of SGBV cases.

“When such a crime is committed, the police department provides the first response. The information that the police investigate will be forwarded to our office and we will work on it to form a legal opinion and write our final legal advice to the police.

“Sometimes we receive the investigation file sent to us and as we examine it, we observe that there are many things that the police do not care about.

“This may be a very minor issue for the police, but for us prosecutors, they are extremely interested in the issue. Sometimes we learn that they are missing from the investigation file.

“The investigation cannot be taken lightly. Security agencies such as the police are doing a great job and we appreciate them, but we believe that the biggest room in any institution is room for improvement.”