Social Welfare must provide care and support for de-boardinised girls -Amnesty Int. Ghana

Director for Amnesty International Ghana, Robert Akoto Amaofo, believes that the sanctions meted out to the seven final-year students of Ejisuman Senior High School will have dire consequence on their future.

Mr. Amoafo in an interview with GhanaWeb called on Social Welfare to ensure the protection of the seven female students who are now exposed to public pressures as a result of the sanction by handed them by their school and the Ghana Education Service (GES).

“Social Welfare is a key institution that must take up the job from here… we believe that the parents have a big role to play, they need to step in and ensure that their children are protected and not give them further situations that will worsen what they are going through with the public pressure and the shame and pain they will be going through already,” said Mr. Amoafo.

Mr. Amoafo also stated that the disciplinary action by the Ghana Education Service wasn’t in the right direction and questions whether any purpose would be achieved with the decision to de-boardinise the girls whose actions breached school rules.

“We are not against the punishment as such, what we are against is any action that will go a long way to infringe on the rights of a person. In this particular instance, students are in school... they are at the final level of their education, what is the impact of the punishment on them?” Mr. Amaofo questioned.

However, Lawyer Maurice Ampaw in an interview with GhanaWeb, suggested that the girls be made to face criminal charges by prosecuting them for promoting sexual impurity and immorality.

“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,” says Lawyer Ampaw.

The seven final year students from Ejisuman Senior High School were dismissed from the boarding house following a viral video that captured them advising girls to give in to the sexual demands of men.