A Social and Community Psychologist and Former Dean, School of Social Sciences at the University of Ghana, Professor Charity Sylvia Akotia, is calling for the repeal of existing law criminalizing suicide attempts.
At an inaugural lecture held at Legon, Prof. Akotia said repealing Section 57 of the Criminal Offences Act, Act 29, of 1960, will prevent persons in distress from seeking help for fear of prosecution.
Moreover, the existing constitutional provision makes it difficult to have accurate statistics of suicide behaviours to be captured for intervention and planning purposes.
Prof. Akotia called for the speedy passage of the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill, which was laid before Parliament in June 2022.
Suicide attempts are punishable by law, and there are growing discussions and calls for the amendment of the said provision to continue unabated.
Many argue that suicide should be considered a matter of public health and not criminalized since most offenders indulge in the act out of psychological needs and life struggles.
Delivering her research topic on “When Life Becomes Unbearable: Dynamics and Complexities of Suicidal Behaviour and Prevention in a Cultural Context”, Prof. Charity Sylvia Akotia gave some staggering revelations on trends of suicide attempts and the urgency to pay attention to the global phenomenon.
The Social and Community Psychologist further proposed some interventions for consideration, stressing the need for a coordinated plan of action since a single approach cannot make a significant impact on issues as complex as suicide.
Prof. Akotia hopes to further explore behaviours and motivation towards suicide to stimulate her desire in the subject area.