By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
A Panel Member of the Asokwa Juvenile Court in the Ashanti region, Mrs. Esther Apraku Nyarko, has raised an alarm about the increasing cases of child sexual molestation particularly defilement and incest reported for adjudication.
Mrs. Apraku Nyarkoo, who sits also on the Kumasi Family Tribunal, noted that, the rising number of the reported cases is in spite of the exacting of punishment by the Juvenile Court and the Family Tribunal against convicted offenders.
According to her, some of the perpetrators threaten their victims with curses and threats of death not to disclose their sexual molestation ordeal to any third party.
Mrs. Apraku Nyarku has therefore called for enhanced public awareness about the legal sanctions against offenders, including a prison sentence for between seven years and a maximum of 25 years to deter anybody planning such nefarious activity.
Mrs. Apraku Nyarko made this known at Jamasi in the Sekyere South district of Ashanti at a workshop.
The occasion was a day’s workshop on Domestic Violence and Discrimination Against Women in Ghana.
It was organized by the Konongo-Mampong Diocesan Council of Women of the Catholic Church for its members, the female Religious fraternity within the church, representatives of women fellowship of other Christian denominations and traditional leaders.
The event was on the theme: “Domestic Violence and Discrimination Against Women in Ghana” with some experts taking the participants through carefully selected topics such as ‘The Importance of Using the Justice System as a Mechanism of Protection’ to enable members of the society better appreciate why domestic violence cases should be treated as a serious offence.
A Panel Member of the Asokwa Juvenile Court, Mrs. Esther Apraku Nyarko, who is also on the Kumasi Family Tribunal as well as the Kumasi Metropolitan Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, said even though the courts continue to record cases of domestic violence in various forms and shapes, sexual molestation especially defilement, incest and also child neglect are witnessing an upsurge in recent times with the perpetrators usually subjecting their victims to curses and threats of deaths should the victims dare report their ordeal to any third party.
Mrs. Apraku Nyarko said, if convicted, an offender of defilement will be jailed for a minimum of seven years and a maximum of 25 years.
However, juveniles also found guilty of defilement could suffer probation, bond to be of good behaviour or be under voluntary custody, punishments which most people accept.
She has therefore called for increased public awareness about the risk factors, preventive measures and consequences of domestic violence and the legal sanctions prescribed by the various laws in Ghana so as to help reduce the rate of incidences of such anti-social behaviours.
The National President of the Council of Women in the Catholic Church, Mrs. Dame Cecilia Asobayere, said the Council is in partnership with the bigger Catholic women group at the international level to pursue programmes and activities that would bring relief to all women victims of domestic abuse and discrimination, particularly the vulnerable.
The Konongo-Mampong Diocesan Bishop of the Catholic Church, Most Reverend Joseph Osei Bonsu, noted that even though some men also suffer domestic violence, women are the most and worst victims due to various risk factors such as drug abuse of their partners, economic dependency and the lack of trust in the police to provide adequate protection when cases are reported.