Hawa Koomson calls for probe into alleged sexual abuse of 19 Obuasi SHTS students by Headmaster 

New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Women’s Organiser Mavis Hawa Koomson has called for a swift, independent and transparent investigation into allegations of sexual abuse involving 19 female students of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS).

She has urged the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to investigate the allegations against the school’s headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai, and ensure that he is made to face the law if found culpable.

The call follows media reports, including an investigative report by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, detailing allegations of rape, sexual harassment and assault involving the students.

In a statement dated October 19, Hawa Koomson expressed shock at the reports and raised concerns that complaints about some of the alleged incidents had been brought to the attention of school authorities as far back as March 2026 without meaningful action.

“As a mother, a professional teacher and an advocate for the rights and welfare of women and children, I consider these allegations profoundly troubling,” she said.

She called on the police to conduct a thorough investigation and urged the relevant authorities to protect the affected students and their families from possible intimidation, victimisation and reprisals.

Hawa Koomson also appealed to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to ensure that the students receive professional counselling, psychological care, medical attention and other necessary support.

She stressed that the students’ welfare must remain central to all interventions, citing the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), which provides protections for children.

“A child knows no political party colours. We must never subordinate the dignity, safety, and protection of our children to partisan considerations,” she stated.

The NPP women’s organiser further called for a comprehensive review of safeguarding policies in schools, including procedures for reporting abuse and holding teachers, headmasters and school administrators accountable.

Meanwhile, the accused Headmaster who is currently the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Constituency Secretary for Juaben, has been cleared in his bid to contest the Chairmanship position.