Child sex-tourism up in Central Region

Mr Isaac Edumadze, Central Region Minister, has expressed concern about the upsurge of child sex tourism in the region and called on the region's Committee on Child Protection to help check it.

He has also appealed to the Police and the Attorney General's Department to deal expeditiously with defilement, rape and assault cases in the region.

Mr Edumadze in a speech read for him at the inauguration of a 25-member Committee on Child Protection at Cape Coast, said parental irresponsibility was the major cause of most cases of child abuse and neglect and that widespread abuse of children were by parents or with their connivance.

''No amount of intervention from the government and other bodies can fully address issues of children without the involvement and commitment of civil society including parents and guardians''.

Mr Edumadze stressed the need to set up juvenile courts and family tribunals in all districts and for appropriate measures to curb traditional practices that were detrimental to the development of the child.

Mr Daniel Dzakah, Chief Inspector of Police in charge of the Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) in Cape Coast, said some parents settled defilement and rape cases at home, adding that sometimes they refused to appear in court thus making prosecution very difficult.

He said "delay in the trial of cases of abuse tends to frustrate the victims and I suggest the setting up of special courts to try rape and defilement cases''.

He said 51 cases have so far been reported to the unit since it was established four months ago. It included eight defilement cases and that one of the accused persons had been jailed 15 years, while the others were pending.

Mr Anthony Bempong, Regional Director of Social Welfare, said l6,948 cases of child neglect and 66 defilement cases were reported to the Department last year.