By Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA
Accra, Nov. 10, GNA – Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology and National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Korle Klottey, has called for the urgent establishment of a National Sex Offenders Register to help track convicted sexual offenders.
In an urgent statement on the floor of the House on Tuesday, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said the Register would protect children, vulnerable persons, and prevent repeat offences.
She expressed concern about the increasing incidence of sexual abuse against children and demanded for urgent national attention and stronger accountability mechanisms.
She urged Parliament to enact a legal framework to support the creation of the register, describing it as a critical tool for monitoring offenders and safeguarding vulnerable members of society.
She also appealed to traditional leaders, religious leaders, chiefs, families, and other influential persons in communities to stop intervening in sexual offence cases to secure the withdrawal or discontinuance of investigations and prosecutions.
She said sexual crimes, particularly those involving children, should not be treated as matters that could be resolved through apologies, family settlements or compensation.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said Ghana had obligations under international and regional human rights instruments, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
She stressed that the country’s commitment to protecting vulnerable persons must be reflected not only in laws and treaties but also in practical measures that ensure justice and accountability.
She noted that official records showed 1,132 cases of defilement and 297 cases of rape were registered in 2025, alongside 10 attempted defilement cases and 16 attempted rape cases.
In 2024, she said, 1,296 cases of defilement and 316 rape cases were recorded, describing the figures as deeply disturbing and likely only a fraction of the actual incidence of sexual abuse due to underreporting.
“Behind every statistic is a human being; a child or vulnerable person whose innocence has been violated and whose trust has been betrayed,” she said, adding that many victims remained silent because of fear, stigma, intimidation and pressure from families and communities.
The Minister said a National Sex Offenders Register would enable authorised institutions to conduct background checks on individuals seeking employment or positions that involved close interaction with children.
She said the register would help prevent convicted offenders from quietly relocating to other communities or institutions where they could gain access to potential victims.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings called on the Ghana Education Service to ensure that allegations of sexual abuse involving teachers were promptly reported, independently investigated and addressed through disciplinary and criminal justice processes.
She warned against the practice of merely transferring accused persons from one institution to another without resolving allegations.
She emphasised that no one should be considered above the law, including teachers, religious leaders, traditional rulers, politicians, and other influential members of society.
However, she noted that any register established must operate within the principles of due process, lawful conviction, data protection, and appropriate legal safeguards.
Drawing on her medical background, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said the effects of sexual abuse extended far beyond physical injuries and could have long-term consequences on victims’ mental health, education, relationships, self-esteem and ability to trust others.
She called for strengthened victim support services, improved access to psychological and medical care, timely investigations and prosecutions, and sanctions against persons who deliberately obstruct justice.
“The measure of our civilisation is not found merely in the laws we pass or conventions we ratify, but in how we treat those who are most vulnerable and least able to defend themselves,” she said.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings urged Parliament and relevant state institutions to urgently consider the proposal, strengthen child protection systems and send a clear message that the sexual abuse of children would neither be tolerated nor excused in Ghanaian society.
Source: Ghana News Agency (GNA)
