THE United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), on Tuesday, February 19, 2019, donated 300 rape kits to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for Region Four.

The handover, at UNICEF’s Brickdam office, was done in an effort to support the ‘Sexual Offences Act’ that was passed in 2017. UNICEF Representative Sylvie Fouet said this multi-sexual approach is in response to the need for providing sexual-violence kits for victims who were assaulted and are in need of immediate attention.

The kits are expected to be distributed to different regions to provide quality service to rape victims of all ages and to apprehend the perpetrators faster.

According to Ms Fouet, the kits are technologically advanced, assisting to curb rape the incidence of rape and respond to rape cases efficiently. The aim of the rape kit is to fight sexual violence, especially against children, and assist police and medical investigations. It includes equipment to take samples, guidance tools and curative materials for victims such as testing for diseases and pregnancy.

It was explained that there were 400 testing cases for rape and assault, in 2018. The kits will provide response to at least 90% of these cases. It was also noted that the kits will help to respond quickly to worst-case scenarios, since evidence can be lost once 24 to 72 hours has passed.

“The RDC is very grateful for the partnership they have established over the years and looks forward for continued support”, said the Regional Executive Officer (REO) Pauline Lucas.

The $3 million project is expected to ease the case-management load within the following years.