School Head Marries P-6 Pupil

The Chairman of the Primary School Management committee in the Dangme West District has had a child with a 16-year-old primary six pupil of the school and has since been living with her as man and wife without performing the marriage rites.

Mary Kudjordzi, mother of the pupil, told the Times newspaper that she had allowed the Committee Chairman, John Gbli Adiamah, to live with her because because she could not cater for her and grandchild. Adiamah on his part told the Times that she saw nothing wrong with impregnating the pupil which has led to the termination of her education, saying he was not aware that defilement or rape was a criminal offence. Naa Korklu a 12-year-old girl was raped and impregnated two years ago and she had to care for her until she delivered.

She has since been looking after her and the child and she has now been sent to another school. She said as a victim of sexual abuse herself, she will do everything possible to bring the plight of the girls to the public domain. “We cannot allow this irresponsible behavior to continue if we really want to unearth the potential in these girls”, she added.

She said she adopted the school on her own free will and struggling to provide all their educational needs as such cannot comprehend why the community wants to destroy the girls. Four other pupils, aged between 12 and 16 also narrated various sexual harassment they suffered in hand of young men in the village. One of them in Primary Six told the Times newspaper that while she was asleep one day, she felt someone removing her panties. She held the hand and shouted for help but the person whom she identified as Kanor Doku, 27, a farmer, managed to escape and has since fled the town.

Another victim aged 12 in primary four, the younger sister of the girl Mr. Adiamah defiled also said she saw a man holding a torchlight and with a towel around his waist enter her room.

He started putting on a condom apparently to sleep with her. When she shouted for her parents to come to her aid, the person jumped through the window and fled. All the girls said even though their parents are aware of what is happening, they have not done anything about it. The chief of Manya, Nene Kartey Achama, who expressed concern about the bad image the village was earning because of the defilement cases, said the parents of the girls did not inform him but has promised to deal with the culprits.