No Bail For Rape, Defilement Cases

Member of Parliament for Kintampo South in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mrs Felicia Adjei, is advocating that rape and defilement cases are made non-bailable offences.

In her opinion, this will deter perpetrators of such crime from visiting havoc on their victims.

Speaking with journalists in Parliament on Friday, Mrs Adjei said the non-bailable offences law, with regards to sexual violence must be brought back.

The Supreme Court in May last year, by a 5-2 majority decision, struck out the non-bailable offences law, which included rape and defilement, describing the law which has been in existence for almost three decades as “unconstitutional.”

But Mrs Adjei who disagrees with the Supreme Court on that decision said defilement is a monstrous crime which must be nipped in the bud.

This, the first-time MP said, could only be achieved if fear was put in persons who harbour such intentions.

She wants a special court to be established solely for sex crimes so as to ensure that cases that are brought before them are tried with speed in order not to curtail the right of suspects.

Her advocacy follows the defilement of a four year old girl at Assin Adadientem in the Central Region which has attracted national condemnation.

She said for the four-year-old girl and the many that suffer sexual violence, the scar lives with them for the rest of their lives and sometimes affect their future sexual relationships.

Mrs Adjei therefore, urged the government to establish post traumatic centres across the country to handle victims, especially defiled children.

Such centres, she said must track the development of victims till they properly came over their ordeal.

The Kintampo lawmaker also called on the government to resource the police to undertake investigations swiftly and the Social Welfare Department with the needed support to function efficiently.

Mrs Adjei also wants chiefs and traditional leaders to “stop trying cases at their palaces and forward any cases of rape or defilement to the police for investigation.”