By: Daniel Yao Akpabli | ignewss – ACCRA, Ghana
Parliament’s Committee on Human Rights has condemned allegations of sexual abuse at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), calling for an expedited investigation and prosecution of the case.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by Hon. Ernest Yaw Anim, Kumawu MP and Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights, the committee said it had taken note of an investigative report by Joy News detailing serious allegations of sexual abuse at the school.
The committee condemned the alleged conduct involving the school’s headteacher, saying such acts would violate provisions of Ghana’s Children’s Act, 1998, and Article 34 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which addresses the protection of children against sexual exploitation and abuse.
It commended the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service for the reported interdiction of the school’s headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai, and the suspension of another housemaster, as well as the initiation of a police investigation into the matter.
The committee urged school authorities, administrators, teachers and other staff in second-cycle institutions and across the wider education sector to uphold the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct. It also stressed the need to protect students’ rights and ensure that schools remain safe environments for learning.
It further called on the justice system to expedite proceedings and impose the maximum applicable sentence if the headteacher is found guilty, arguing that accountability would help deter future cases of sexual abuse.
The committee said it would continue to monitor the investigation and prosecution in line with its parliamentary oversight responsibilities. It also expressed hope that the case would lead to policy reviews aimed at strengthening safeguards for children in educational institutions.
The statement was signed by the committee’s chairman, Hon. Ernest Yaw Anim, Member of Parliament for Kumawu.
The allegations remain subject to investigation and any criminal liability must be determined through due process.
SOURCE: www.ignewss.com