Justice for 4-year-old girl - NGO to government

Empowerment Aid, a Non- Governmental Organization focusing on empowering women and is calling on the Government, Ministry for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Security Agencies, Human Right and Civil Society Groups to fight justice for a 4-year-old girl who has been defiled by an 18 years old man. The man is now on the run at Assin Adadientem in Central Region.

It’s very sad for a girl to be raped and unable walk whilst the perpetrator walks freely in the community for the chief to tell the victim that ‘the gods say the suspect is innocent and nothing can be done about it’.

Criminal Offences Act- 1960 (Act29), Section 101- Defilement of Child under 16 Years of Age (1) For purposes of this Act defilement is the natural or unnatural carnal knowledge of any child under sixteen years of age. (2) Whoever naturally or unnaturally carnally knows any child under sixteen years of age, whether with or without his or her consent commits an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and not more than twenty- five years. –Ghana Constitution.

The development of every nation lies on its children especially girls. We are appealing to government as a matter of urgency to revisit the criminal offences act that protects children under 16 years to punish the culprit to serve as deterrent to others.

Empowerment Aid (NGO) findings shows rape case is very rampant in Assin Fosu Municipality which need critical attention since we can’t afford our girls to be in such agony.

Empowerment Aid (NGO) urges Government, Ministry for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Media, Civil Society Groups and National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to embark on nationwide intensive campaign to educate everybody especially the inhabitants of Adadientem community on issues of child protection and sexual abuses and the laws of Ghana.