Scrap medical exams fees on rape - Group tells gov’t

For a lot of rape victims getting justice is a distant mirage.

With 40 cases of sexual assault reported daily in Ghana, rape victims are required to pay between GHC300 and GHC800 for a forensic medical examination.

The medical forensic exam, often called a rape kit, helps assess a victim’s health needs.

This documentation is also necessary to launch criminal investigations by providing evidence of injuries and other indicators of force or coercion against a victim.

The rape kits can also help establish the identity of the offender through DNA samples.

But for many victims, this fee is prohibitive, yet, without it, justice remains elusive, therefore, a group of Ghanaian professional ladies, based in the Netherlands, Perfect Ladies International has called on the government to scrap it.

“A lot of people cannot afford this fee and so they desist from reporting the case altogether, it must be scrapped “ the leader of the group, Naa Joormo Akua Dedaa I, Queen mother of Kuntunse, said.

The group is partnering with the crime prevention organization, Crime Check Foundation to sensitize the public on rape and sexual violence.

According to the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, at least 120 million girls under the age of 20 — about 1 in 10 – have been forced to engage in sex or perform other sexual acts (and the actual figure is likely much higher).

The group donated 16000 euros an equivalent of GHC21,000 to kick start the advocacy project.

Receiving the cash donation, the Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation, Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng pointed out a few factors that lead to underreported cases of sexual violence.

According to him, the police often lack the capacity for thorough investigations, which can take years to reach a court.

He acknowledged that some community leaders often agree to quick, out-of-court settlements to avoid draining the meager savings of victims and their families.

“We must not encourage that” he noted.

Perfect Ladies International has been in existence for the past 5 years.

The group focuses on social issues relating to women and girls.