By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Apremdo (WR), July 22, GNA- Some 45, 409 child sexual abuse materials were displayed on the Internet between 2023 and 2024 in the Ghanaian cyber space.
The figure explained that these sexual abuse materials of children were either produced in-country, distributed here or accessed in Ghana.
Madam Hilda Mensah, the UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, told the Ghana News Agency during a training on “Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse” for investigators of the Ghana Police that such materials were often associated with extreme violence affecting the dignity of the Ghanaian child.
She said, “Some of these children are even killed after the sexual abuse” and encouraged parents and caregivers to start educating their children on the emerging sexual exploitation and abuse on the Cyber space to curb the growing menace.
The UNICEF Child Protection Specialist added that “these crimes against children who are very innocent were driven by high demand for pornographic materials….so I say Ghanaians must stop patronising adult pornography from other countries, while you are watching them others are also having sex with your children and recording them for sale.”
Madam Mensah said the campaign of child sexual abuse and exploitation on the Internet must become each member of society’s burden to save the future of the Ghanaian child.
Some abuse children whose images are on the Internet are often requested to also pay huge amount of money from their abusers heighten emotional frustrations and increasing suicide among the affected, the UNICEF officer reported.
GNA
Edited by Justina Paaga/Christian Akorlie