The Aburi Presbyterian Old Women’s Association (APOWA) has condemned the alleged sexual abuse and exploitation of female students at the Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), describing the incident as heartbreaking and a betrayal of trust.
In a press statement issued in Aburi and signed by its National Secretary, Pat Narh, the association said it was “deeply shattered that the very custodian entrusted to lead, guide, and protect these vulnerable learners allegedly became their tormentor.”
“Schools must remain sacred sanctuaries for academic excellence, not hunting grounds for predators,” the statement said.
APOWA said it was issuing the statement as an institution dedicated to protecting the rights, dignity and welfare of young women.
The association is demanding immediate accountability and transparency from the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ministry of Education and law enforcement agencies.
It has raised three critical demands:
First, that the victims undergo immediate, comprehensive medical examinations to test for, treat and protect them from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that could threaten their reproductive health.
Second, that investigative bodies thoroughly probe the motive behind the alleged systematic violation of 19 girls by a single individual.
And third, that the students be provided with trauma-informed, professional psychological counselling to stabilize their mental health and ensure their education is not derailed.
The group referenced this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, which focused on ending child marriage and investing in the rights of the girl child, noting that parents are enduring financial hardship to educate their daughters with the expectation that the state will keep them safe.
“It is an abomination that vulnerability is instead met with structural betrayal,” APOWA stated.
The association reminded educational stakeholders that school girls are “your daughters, your nieces, and your cousins” and that any act of violation that would be abhorrent against one’s own family should never be inflicted on another person’s child.
APOWA called on the GES to enforce its code of conduct and professional ethics without fear or favour and to build airtight systems that safeguard all students, including boys who may be suffering in silence.
“APOWA will not rest until sanity is restored to our educational system, the perpetrators face the full rigour of the law, and our girls are fully supported to live upright lives as women of substance,” the statement concluded.
