The Gomoa East District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs Constance Akuamoah-Boateng, has cautioned victims of child abuse and their parents against settling such cases at home.
She said although child abuse cases constituted criminal offence which should be reported to the police, there had been instances when children had been physically and sexually abused by some individuals and the cases settled at home instead of the victims making a complaint to the police.
Community sensitisation Mrs Akuamoah-Boateng gave the caution at a community sensitisation durbar at Panfokrom in the Central Region.
It was organised by the Gomoa East District NCCE, in collaboration with Plan Ghana International, a child’s right non-governmental organisation.
She indicated that in most cases, relatives as well as family friends took advantage of the family ties to abuse children.
She explained that parental irresponsibility was contributing to the abuse of children and, therefore, called on parents to take proper care of their children in order not for such children to fall prey to people who would abuse them.
Advice to children She advised children to report any form of abuse against them to the appropriate authorities for the perpetrators to face the full rigours of the law in order to serve as a deterrent to others.
She also advised parents to stop pushing their young female children onto the street since it would make them susceptible to abuse. She also urged children to be wary of adults who sent them on errands and asked then to come to their rooms, or those who lured them to secluded places, since that could result in sexual abuse.
District-level elections Mr Samuel Kojo Hooper, the District Civic Education Officer, called on the people to take part in the upcoming district-level elections to elect capable assembly members to help develop the area.
He noted that it was the civic responsibility of every voter to participate in the elections in order to deepen the country’s democratic process.
Member of Parliament The Member of Parliament for Gomoa East, Mr Ekow Panyin Okyere, commended the NCCE for organising the event and appealed to parents to take proper care of their children and ensure that they were given the best education to make them responsible adults in future.
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