The General Secretary of the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations, Gapson Kofi Raphael, has called for action against persons implicated in the alleged sexual abuse of students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) and those suspected of covering up the incidents.
He says the allegations must be thoroughly investigated and anyone found to have condoned or concealed criminal conduct held accountable.
Speaking on JoyNews‘ The Pulse on Monday, October 19, Mr Raphael expressed disappointment in the handling of the matter by school authorities and the Ghana Education Service (GES), questioning the effectiveness of the committee established to investigate the allegations.
He added that parents must have confidence that their children are safe while under the care of school administrators and teachers.
“It is clear from the information we have gathered from within the school that they were trying to whitewash the case and sweep the actual issues under the carpet. We should be able to deal decisively with those who condone or cover up crime. This is criminal conduct, and we must allow the law to deal with it.”
He also criticised the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) leadership for failing to champion the concerns of affected students and their parents.
According to him, the PTA chairman and secretary should have led efforts to ensure the complaints were addressed rather than allowing the matter to be overlooked.
Mr Raphael further faulted the GES Director-General and his team for waiting until the Education Minister issued a statement before taking disciplinary action against the headteacher, who has since been suspended.
He insisted that a person’s political influence, cultural background or social standing must not prevent victims from accessing justice.
“No amount of influence, whether political, whether cultural, whether social standing of an individual, should be allowed to take precedence over the welfare of a child who is in the custody of that person,” he said.
His comments follow a JoyNews investigative documentary by Manasseh Azure Awuni detailing allegations of sexual abuse involving students at the school and raising questions about how complaints were handled by school authorities and other stakeholders.