Defilement of 4-year-old: Concerned parents petition Otiko

Some disgruntled parents have written to the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Djaba, to personally take immediate steps to ensure justice for the 4-year-old girl who was defiled at Assin Fosu.

Scofray Nana Yaw Yeboah and Elikem K. Kotoko, in the petition copied to ClassFMonline.com, stated that the case has not attracted “the needed attention and swift response from many stakeholders, including your outfit, a ministry supposed to be responsible for gender, children and social protection”.

According to them, they “feel very threatened by this development, and can authoritatively state that today it’s this innocent toddler, we do not know when it may be us and this little girl in question may be our future first female president. She could be that doctor who is coming to find a cure for HIV-AIDS, she has every right and potential to become whoever and she deserves all the protection the state can offer her”.

The chief of Adadientem, a village in the Assin North District of the Central Region, who was implicated in the case, has denied clearing the man who defiled the girl.

The chief, who suffered a lot of flak in the media for trying to settle the matter himself, has said he never cleared the sex offender of his crimes.

Distressed mother of the victim, Monica Nyarko, has accused the chief of obstructing justice. According to her, the chief told her that the community gods say the suspect is innocent.

The concerned parents insist the nation “protect the ordinary Ghanaian who by their status, are subjected to heartless ordeals of this kind, madam” adding, it will be “a test of the character of your ministry” as they demand swift action.

Below is the full petition:

PETITION TO MINISTER OF GENDER, CHILDREN AND SOCIAL PROTECTION: THE RAMPANT RAPE CASES MUST CEASE IN ASSIN ENCLAVE WITH THE PAIN OF THE 4 YEAR OLD GIRL

The Minister

Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba

Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection Accra

We write to draw your august ministry’s attention to the painful and heartbreaking news of the rape case in Assin Adadientem which doesn’t seem to attract the needed attention and swift response from many stakeholders including your outfit, a ministry supposed to be responsible for gender, children and social protection.

On Tuesday 24th October a news reporter with Myjoyonline by name Abubakar Ibrahim broke news of the unfortunate agony of madam Monica Nyarko who's 4 your old daughter suffered defilement to the point that it is deteriorating her health whiles justice was also being denied her by the traditional authorities.

As a sector minister we bring this painful story to your notice for quick action to aid this innocent little girl. This is not in anyway to state that your outfit is unaware of this story but the approach and commentary by some officers from the Gender Ministry is most disheartening, discouraging, and disappointing. It is absolutely unacceptable because the response would have been completely different if this innocent toddler was the daughter of an influential personality in society. Please let us not let the law work speedily for only a certain class of society.

As parents ourselves with children, we feel very threatened by this development, and can authoritatively state that today it’s this innocent toddler, we do not know when it may be us and this little girl in question may be our future first female president, she could be that doctor who is coming to find a cure for HIV-AIDS, she has every right and potential to become whoever and she deserves all the protection the state can offer her.

We humbly request for your support to ensure this issue is taken up personally by yourself to ensure a speedy justice delivery and also provide absolute care for this innocent kid and her vulnerable mother who took to the traditional authority instead of the police when the incident occurred; but this is to tell you how our people still revere our traditional authority, even as some have used that to encumber their people.

The stance taken by some chiefs of the town as a way to shield the alleged rapist is indeed very devilry and if allowed to continue this will decimate the community.

According to the report, the pedophile who is only identified as Kwabena defiled this 4 year old when he sent the elder sister to buy him coconut.

Oscar Dadzie a journalist in the Assin enclave recounted over 10 rape case that did not receive the trial of the law to bring this alleged culprits of various rape and defilement cases.

As the sector minister we humbly request that you take a stand for this voiceless mother and let the law take its course speedily and ensure this case serves as deterrent to others who by virtue of cover ups by chiefs in the Assin enclave intend to engage in such ruinous act

We must experience the law protecting the ordinary Ghanaian who by their status are subjected to heartless ordeals of this kind, madam.

It is our fervent hope that you will consider this petition as one not coming from only two parents but instead a clarion call by the nation, a test of the character of your ministry and swiftly dealing with this and we do not think this should make you flounder in anyway. Presently, both mother and child (victim) are obviously in quandary and the state must step in to provide comfort.

Thank you and God bless our homeland Ghana

………………………….. Elikem K. Kotoko

……………………………… Scofray Nana Yaw Yeboah #JusticeForHer