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Kasoa, Central Region//-The Awutu Senya District Education Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in collaboration with the Ohenewa Human Rights Advocacy has organised a five day human rights advocacy programme to educate over six thousand students in selected schools in the district.

The first of the five day programme focused on laws on domestic and sexual violence was held in Kasoa in the Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly in the Central Region.

The event which was held at a school park on 23rd April 2021 attracted over 1,364 students from clusters of schools-Akwekey Nkwanta St. Mary’s Anglican Basic B; Akweley St. Mary’s Anglican Primary and JHS D; Akweley St. Mary’s Anglican Basic A; and ICODEHS Basic Schools in the area.

The purpose for the Advocacy in Kasoa was as a result of the recent gruesome murder of the 10 year old boy for ritual purposes by his friends of similar ages.

Speaking at the event, Human Rights Lawyer and Founder of the Advocacy, Mary Ohenewaa Afful said: “This Advocacy Project, dubbed Ohenewaa Advocacy in Schools and Free Books Distribution is designed to create awareness and educate school children, help them to report cases of abuse and prevent future offenders from committing acts of criminality by knowing the jail terms associated with these types of crimes as outlined in the book”.

She added: “We want to send the right signal of helping the fight against all forms of abuse, by encouraging school children to report all cases of abuse to their teachers, head teachers, parents, neighbours, family members, among others”.

These people can as well assist them to report such cases to the nearest police station to effect arrests, and possible prosecution of all acts of violence or criminal conducts, according to her.

Touching more on the topic- ‘Laws on Domestic & Sexual Violence & Cycle of Abuse’, Lawyer Ohenewaa Afful, lamented that there is an alarming rate of domestic and sexual violence cases across the country.

This she said has resulted in many children and older people being constantly abused on a daily basis.

According to the data from Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, more females continue to suffer from rape and defilement in the country.

However, the figures keep going higher and higher. Furthermore, records from the country’s court systems and prisons also show a high rate of criminal offenders from ages 19 to 26 who end up being jailed for committing various criminal offences.

To this end, Lawyer Ohenewaa Afful called on the government and the Ghana Police to implement Sector 8(3) of the Domestic Violence Act, 2007 (ACT732)  which specifically states: “A victim of domestic violence who is assisted by the Police is entitled to free medical treatment from the STATE” but that law has never been implemented.

 Since the passage of the Act, this section has never been implemented. So, we are calling on the government to provide the budget for that. So that when children are defiled, abused or their human rights are being contravened. It is only when the matter comes in the media that the government rushes there and takes care of the victim(s) and their family like what happened in Kasoa recently, she said.

“What about those that are not reported? What about the many girls that have been defiled and they (families) have to spend almost GHC1,000 on treatment alone, so section 8(3) has to be implemented”, Lawyer Ohenewaa Afful maintained.

At the end of the event, free booklets on Laws on Domestic and Sexual Violence and Cycle of Abuse written by Lawyer Ohenewaa Afful; were shared them among the over thousand students. Also, Kalyppo drinks, exercise books and nose masks donated by Aquafresh Company Ltd were shared to them as well.

Subsequent events will be organised in the selected schools provided by the Ghana Education Office, Kasoa in the Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly, so Lawyer Ohenewaa Afful is appealing for sponsorship to make them a success.