Concerned with rampant withdrawal of gender-based violence (GBV) cases due to long distances to court, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) in conjunction with the Judiciary, is set to provide mobile court sessions in remote areas of Chikwawa.
Chikwawa CCJP diocesan secretary Lewis Msiyadungu said on Friday that the mobile court clinics, initiated through the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (Gewe) Project, will first be implemented in the areas of chiefs Ngabu and Makhuwira.
He said: “We are implementing these mobile court clinics to reach out to vulnerable people.
“Due to the long distances, victims and witnesses have found it difficult to report their cases so we want to help.”
Msiyadungu further said his office has agreed with court officials in the district to take up the issue of mobile courts.
He said the initiative will solve the distance problem as court officials will be going into communities to conduct court sessions so that perpetrators of crimes are dealt with.
Said Msiyadungu: “We hope this will protect women and children from abuse and that there will be no case withdrawals.”
On his part, Chikwawa First Grade Magistrate Gladstone Chirundu said the initiative will motivate people, especially women and children to report cases of gender based violence to authorities.
Meanwhile, CCJP has rehabilitated Makande and Makhuwira court rooms and bought furniture for the courts to improve justice delivery. n
