Public must expose maltreatment of children

The public have been urged to muster courage to expose people who maltreat their children or wards on the least offence they commit for the law to deal with them.

Madam Hillary Acquaye, an official of the of the Social Welfare Department, at the Mpohor Wassa East District, said parents do not have the absolute right to expose their children to harm or danger, no matter their offence.

In such a situation, the state has the right to intervene to save their lives so the public have the right to expose such misdeeds for the law to deal with such offenders.

Madam Acquaye was speaking on the topic “children’s rights and protection” at a durbar jointly organized by the Social Welfare Department and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), for the chiefs and people of Sekyere Krobo in the Mpohor Wassa East District of the Western Region.

The durbar, which was sponsored by the World Vision International, was aimed at sensitizing members of the community on children’s rights and protection, to ensure that they are prevented from violations such as abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking and hazardous work.

Madam Acquaye said children must be disciplined but when they become too difficult to handle, parents and guardians must not vent their anger or inflict wounds on them, but rather report them to the appropriate authorities for correction.

Madam Caroline Annobil, Programme Coordinator of the NCCE noted that, children need affection to grow and so a congenial atmosphere must be created at home so that they do not get attracted to social vices outside.

As vulnerable as they are, any hardship inflicted on them could affect their development, leading to timidity in some of them.

Some of the participants at the forum noted that, some adults take harsh measures on children out of ignorance of the law and therefore called for periodic education on such topical issues.