Lawyer Maurice Ampaw has called for stiffer punishments for the seven female students of Ejisuman Senior High School who have been dismissed. For him, facing criminal trials for engaging and also promoting obscene behavior as well as exposing and promoting sexual impunity and immorality is the ideal sanction to have been meted.
According to Lawyer Ampaw, there is a need to go hard on the girls for their actions which have serious criminal implications.
He is therefore calling on the Attorney General, Police, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to take necessary action.
“The girls are above the age of 13 years so they have criminal liabilities. If a child commits a crime, it is a crime…these girls have engaged in offenses against the public morales and obscenity, let the law take its course. Forget about whether or not they are preparing for their final year,” he said.
Defending his claim, Lawyer Ampaw cited Chapter 7 of the Criminal Offences Act which notes that it is an offence against public moral and Section 280 of the Criminal Offence Act, which states that any person who publishes any material or incites obscene behavior is guilty of an offence.
The seven students were de-boardinised following a viral video that captured them encouraging girls to sleep with men who are ready to offer them money, another girl was seen condemning girls who refuse to have sex with men.
The disciplinary action taken by the Ghana Education Service (GES), which lead to the seven being expelled has received diverse reactions from the public.
Lawyer Apaw speaking to GhanaWeb stated that there is a need for authorities to go all out to prevent a repeat of the situation.
Adding that it is better for the girls to appear in court for a judge to ban them to be of good behavior rather than just de-deboardinising them. This action he believes will serve as a deterrent to other students who intend to do same.
“De-boardinising is not the way forward, it has become a canker, the public moral has come under threat…if we fail to fight this cancer which has just started, it is spreading from one institution to another. If we do not take care, one day we will wake up and see students having open sex in schools and in their classrooms,” says Lawyer Ampaw.