Obuasi SHTS sexual abuse: 'GES must distant itself, allow the law to work' — Former MP

Former Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Freda Prempeh, has urged the Ghana Education Service (GES) to refrain from interfering in investigations into sexual abuse allegations involving female students of Obuasi Senior High and Technical School (SHTS) in the Ashanti Region.

Dr Prempeh, a former Member of Parliament for Tano North and founder of the Ultimate Women Foundation (UWF), said the relevant institutions must be allowed to investigate the allegations against the school’s headmaster, Zakari Abdulai, and ensure justice for the alleged victims.

The GES has interdicted the headmaster as investigations into the allegations continue.

Dr Prempeh, whose NGO focuses on women and girls, said parents entrusted their children to educational institutions with the expectation that they would be protected, not exposed to abuse.

Describing the allegations against the headmaster as despicable, she expressed concern over what she considers a disturbing trend of reported sexual abuse cases involving girls in schools.

She argued that perpetrators must face the full force of the law to serve as a deterrent to others, stressing that failure to hold offenders accountable could make it difficult to curb the practice.

Dr Prempeh also encouraged girls and young women who experience sexual abuse in schools or workplaces to speak out and seek help, assuring them of the importance of confronting such misconduct.

She said her foundation remained committed to empowering vulnerable girls and indigenous women to contribute meaningfully to national development.

Emphasising the responsibility of educational institutions to protect students, she said, “You are to take care of the students anytime they leave home for school.”

The former MP further called for stronger measures to address indiscipline in schools, insisting that teachers should serve as role models and guides for students.

“Teachers ought to be caretakers and mentors and not sexual escapades," he stated.

Dr Prempeh said strict enforcement of the GES code of conduct was among the most effective ways to tackle sexual exploitation and abuse of female students by teachers.