By Elizabeth Larkwor Baah
Tema, Oct. 21, GNA — SOS Children’s Villages (CV) Ghana has called on the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to develop individual recovery and education plans for students allegedly sexually abused by the headmaster of Obuasi SHTS.
The organisation said each affected student required sustained medical and psychosocial support, educational assistance and a safe environment to facilitate recovery from the alleged abuse.
The call was contained in a press statement copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), stating that the plans should be developed in consultation with the affected students and their families to address their individual needs and ensure that the incident did not undermine their education and future prospects.
The call follows allegations that the headmaster, Mr Zakaria Abdulai, sexually abused at least 14 female students, with the investigating journalist reporting that the number might have increased to 16.
SOS CV Ghana said recovery from sexual abuse extended beyond the arrest or prosecution of an alleged perpetrator but required sustained care, protection and support for affected children.
It commended the Minister for Education for suspending the headmaster and referring the matter to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
The organisation also acknowledged the involvement of the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection and Parliament’s Committee on Human Rights, as well as the courage of the students who spoke out and the journalist who investigated the allegations.
The statement, however, expressed concern over reports that complaints had reached school and education authorities months before action was taken, allowing the alleged abuse to continue for more than a year, and therefore, urged the Ministry of Education and GES to establish why the earlier complaints did not result in timely intervention and hold accountable any officials found to have failed in their responsibilities.
It further called on the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Department of Social Welfare to assign a dedicated social worker to each affected student and her family to coordinate free medical, psychosocial and legal support throughout the court process.
The organisation urged the Ghana Police Service to ensure that investigations were conducted in a child-friendly manner, with trained officers, safe interview settings, the presence of a trusted adult and minimal repeated interviews to avoid further trauma.
It also called for the prompt collection and preservation of relevant evidence that the students might have retained.
On school safety, SOS Children’s Villages Ghana urged Parliament to use its oversight role to establish national safeguarding standards for all pre-tertiary schools which should include a trained safeguarding focal person in every school, confidential reporting channels independent of the person being reported, mandatory reporting requirements with clear timelines, and sanctions for officials who failed to act on complaints.
The organisation also called on GES and the National Teaching Council to strengthen the vetting of teachers and school administrators, improve record-keeping and ensure that concerns about staff members were considered across postings and promotions, urging the authorities to review any concerns raised about the headmaster during his previous postings.
SOS CV Ghana cautioned the public, particularly social media users, against sharing images, names or other identifying information about the affected students, warning that such exposure could retraumatise them and subject them to ridicule, blame or reprisals.
It said the protection of the students’ identities and dignity was particularly important as the full investigative documentary aired, adding that public discussion of the allegations should not become another source of harm to the survivors.
The organisation said the impact of the allegations extended beyond the students who had reported abuse to include witnesses, friends and other members of the school community whose trust in the adults responsible for their protection might have been shaken and therefore called for appropriate support for the wider school community and guidance for parents on how to discuss the matter with their children.
It cited Article 39 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and said the State had an obligation to promote the physical and psychological recovery of child victims and also invoked Article 12 of the Convention, which recognises children’s right to express their views on matters affecting them, and urged authorities to involve students in designing reporting systems intended to protect them.
The organisation said safeguarding mechanisms would be effective only if children trusted them enough to report abuse and believed their concerns would be taken seriously, reaffirming its readiness to work with the relevant ministries, GES, the Department of Social Welfare and other partners to provide psychosocial support, strengthen families and improve child protection systems.
It urged anyone with information about a child at risk to report it to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service or the Department of Social Welfare.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Elizabeth Larkwor Baah, GNA
Email: [email protected]