Lady Rev. Amesika Apprey of A-Partners@Law, has condemned what she describes as a culture of tolerance and enablement that allowed alleged sexual abuse at Obuasi Senior High Technical School to persist despite complaints from victims.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Law, she questioned why decisive action was not taken after the girls reportedly spoke out, despite existing laws and the Ghana Education Service (GES) code of conduct intended to guide staff responses to misconduct.
Rev. Apprey said the adults whose accounts featured in the documentary had, in one way or another, contributed to what she described as a culture that tolerated and enabled sexual abuse.
“I agree every single person who we heard speak has had a role to play in this culture of enablement and tolerance of sexual abuse,” she said.
“I take this on a personal level because I have a child who is a teenager as well and will be going to secondary school,” she said, adding that the revelations had left her with “all kinds of thoughts.”
Her comments follows JoyNews investigation by Manasseh Azure Awuni revealig that education officials, municipal authorities and other influential figures had received complaints about alleged sexual abuse involving the suspended headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, Zakaria Abdulai, months before the Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to suspend him.
The investigation, titled Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow, examines allegations of sexual harassment, assault and rape involving female students of the school.
It found that complaints and petitions from students, parents and teachers had been submitted to school management, education officials and other authorities, but no effective action was taken for more than a year, according to accounts and documents gathered during the investigation.
Mr Abdulai has since been suspended following the controversy.