The Menace of Child Defilement in Ghana

The recent sad story of a 4-year old girl defiled by a man in Assin Adadientem in the Central Region is not only shameful, but depressing, heart-breaking, and criminal. Even more worrying, is the alleged clandestine attempts by prominent people in society such as the Chief of the area to obstruct justice for the victim based on the verdict of the community gods. Although rape and defilement cases have been with us in Ghana since time immemorial, the high rate at which the menace is occurring in recent times in different parts of the country is a real cause for concern. This is in view of the devastating and often damning consequences of defilement on the health of the girl child and society as a whole.

A Ghana News Agency report of 9th July, 2003 cited infertility, trauma, the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, STDs, and terminal illness and even death as some of the negative effects of defilement. While commending the efforts of government, NGOs and individuals in the fight against the menace, it is important to appeal to churches and advocacy groups to join in the fight as our social responsibility. Churches and other religious bodies should educate their members on the need to report rape and defilement cases to the security agencies, instead of accepting private settlement at home. The police on their part should process such cases swiftly for prosecution in court, while judges hand down prompt and stiffer sentences to the perpetrators to serve as a deterrent to both the offenders and others in society. Chiefs, politicians, pastors, and other prominent people in society should refrain from intervening in such cases to obstruct justice from taking its due course.

Victims of rape and defilement should be supported by parents, the clergy, teachers, NGO’s and trained psychologists to promptly report and deal with the consequences of these dastardly acts. As preventive measures, efforts towards women empowerment, poverty alleviation and proper parental care, should be intensified at all levels of society. This will go a long way in curbing the incidence of exposing unsuspecting children to rape and defilement as they engage in petty trading and other such activities on the streets to make a living. There is the need for the girl child at a very early age to be properly educated and empowered both at home and in school on how to avoid falling into the traps of unscrupulous male relatives, neighbours, and strangers.

Studies show that poverty among women and lack of proper parental care are the two main reasons that feed into the predisposition of children to the abuse of rape and defilement. In order to curb the menace or bring it to the barest minimum, we call on all religious bodies, security agencies, the judiciary, civil society and government to team up to wage a relentless war against the menace until it is totally eradicated from our society.

By Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God, Ghana.

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