The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has leveraged the use of technology to introduce two tech-driven solutions to enable easier access to victims of domestic and sexual violence as well as reporters.
This innovation is aimed at providing immediate assistance and ensuring critical evidence is stored securely for legal proceedings.
The first initiative, a WhatsApp-based AI chatbot called Ask INU (I Need You), is designed to provide timely, confidential, and accurate information about available support services. By sending a message to 08128937058, users can discreetly access guidance, ensuring that victims/ survivors and those assisting them are empowered with critical knowledge of the resources at their disposal.
Sending a message on WhatsApp can give users access to timely, confidential, and accurate information about available support services.
The second initiative is a Self-Reporting tool, made available through the Domestic and Sexual Violence Case Management System (DSVCMS). This platform allows victims, survivors, and mandated reporters to submit case details and upload evidence such as images, videos, and medical reports. Thus, it serves as a secure storage system, ensuring that key evidence is preserved for legal action.
To use this tool, individuals can visit lagosdsvcms.org and click on the “Report” tab to submit their information.
A major setback for the agency in prosecuting these domestic and sexual violence cases usually is the loss of evidence as about 60% of survivors with some sort of evidence of abuse either lost it, deleted it, or had it destroyed by their abusers. Now the Self-Reporting Tool provides a safer way to send and store evidence for legal actions to be taken.