Defilement most prevalent offence against children — Report

Defilement has been identified as the most prevalent offence against children, a report by Child Rights International, Ghana has confirmed.

Defined as the natural or unnatural carnal knowledge of any child under the age of 16, with or without their consent, defilement accounted for 534 cases out of 899 cases profiled under the survey.

Out of the 534 cases, 32 per cent of them are currently in court but characterised by extensive delays, with documented cases pending for between two and 10 years.

Other cases identified as prevalent include assault, indecent assault, abduction, emotional abuse, rape, causing harm, child stealing, incest and child marriage.

The rest are unlawful harm, abortion, threat of harm, threat of death, exposure to danger, murder, offensive conduct, sexual harassment, child trafficking, among others.

Report

The Executive Director of Child Rights International, Ghana, Bright Appiah, disclosed the findings of the report at a news conference in Accra last Thursday.

Relying on Child Rights International’s case management records from 10 regions over the past three years and household income data from vulnerable families in 32 communities, the study examined the prevalence of child protection cases that remain pending in court.

Titled, “Perfidy of justice against children: Evidence from child abuse cases in Ghana”, the report also explored the impact of prolonged delays on child victims, among others.

The report highlighted a widening gap between reported abuse and delivered justice in the country. 

Impact

On the impact of the pendency of the cases on victims and families, the study revealed that prolonged judicial processes resulted in secondary victimisation such as psychological distress, trauma and anxiety.

It added that children were often subjected to repeated court appearances which retraumatised them, hindering their recovery.

In addition to this, it revealed that many children experienced social stigma and isolation within their communities, while others faced disruptions in their education due to frequent court attendance and emotional distress.

The report further revealed that families of victims also bore the financial burden of pursuing justice, including transportation, medical expenses and legal costs, adding that in some cases, challenges compelled the families to abandon formal proceedings to seek settlements, thereby weakening accountability and perpetuating cycles of abuse.

“The consequences of these delays extend far beyond procedural inconvenience. The report finds that prolonged judicial processes subject child victims to secondary victimisation, additional harm inflicted not by the original perpetrator but by the justice system itself, including psychological distress, trauma, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, educational disruption driven by court-related absenteeism, and social stigma and isolation within closely connected communities,” it said.

Recommendations

Mr Appiah called for urgent reforms such as the introduction of mandatory timeliness for the investigation and adjudication of child protection cases to prevent prolonged delays.

He also called for the establishment of specialised child protection courts and prosecution units to ensure that cases involving children were handled efficiently and with the necessary sensitivity.

He further advocated the development of a national digital case-tracking system to improve transparency, accountability and the effective monitoring of cases from reporting to final judgement.

The organisation further called for the strengthening and expansion of child sensitive court procedures and dedicated child protection dockets across all regional formations, and the establishment of specialised prosecution units in all regional offices of the Office of the Attorney-General with improved inter-agency coordination as ways to address aspects of the situation.

“We remain committed to advocating for a justice system that is responsive, efficient and child-sensitive, ensuring that every child who experiences abuse receives timely and fair justice,” Mr Appiah added.