The Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has called for the urgent establishment of a National Sex Offenders Register to help protect children and vulnerable persons from sexual abuse and prevent convicted offenders from reoffending.
In a statement delivered Parliament on Tuesday , November 10, 2026, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings described the growing cases of sexual abuse, particularly against children, as a disturbing national concern that requires urgent legislative and institutional intervention.
She said Ghana could no longer afford to tolerate a situation where individuals entrusted with the care and protection of children exploit their positions to abuse them, while families and influential members of society sometimes rally behind perpetrators instead of supporting victims.
“How have we allowed ourselves to reach a point where innocent children are defiled by the very people entrusted with their protection, and yet we behave as though this is normal?” she questioned.
The Minister cited alarming crime statistics, revealing that Ghana recorded 1,132 cases of defilement and 297 cases of rape in 2025.
The figures also included 10 attempted defilement cases, 16 attempted rape cases and seven cases recorded under an archaic provision of the criminal law.
According to her, the figures represent 1,462 registered cases of sexual offences within a single year, warning that the actual number could be significantly higher because many victims remain silent due to fear, stigma, intimidation and pressure from families and communities.
“Behind every statistic is a human being. A child whose innocence has been violated. A woman whose dignity has been assaulted. A vulnerable person whose trust has been betrayed. Mr Speaker, these are not just numbers. They are lives. They are families,” she stressed.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings expressed particular concern about the culture of silence and interference that often surrounds sexual abuse cases, especially when perpetrators occupy influential positions in society.
She appealed to religious and traditional leaders, as well as other community opinion leaders, to stop intervening at police stations to persuade investigators to discontinue cases involving sexual offences against children.
“Please stop intervening at police stations to seek the discontinuation of cases involving sexual offences against children!” she urged.
She argued that sexual abuse must not be treated as a minor family dispute that can be resolved through apologies, financial compensation or traditional settlement arrangements.
“Forgiveness is a personal and spiritual matter. Accountability is a matter of law. One must never be used to undermine the other,” she emphasised.
The Minister proposed that the National Sex Offenders Register should be backed by a comprehensive legal framework to facilitate accountability, monitoring and background checks, particularly for individuals seeking employment in institutions that work closely with children.
She said authorised institutions must be able to verify the criminal backgrounds of prospective teachers, caregivers, supervisors and other professionals whose responsibilities give them access to children and vulnerable persons.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings also called on the Ghana Education Service to strengthen its response to allegations of sexual abuse, warning against the practice of transferring teachers facing credible allegations from one school to another without appropriate investigations and disciplinary action.
“We cannot simply transfer a teacher from one school to another when credible allegations of sexual abuse emerge, thereby potentially exposing another group of children to danger,” she cautioned.
She insisted that allegations must be promptly reported, independently investigated and addressed through the appropriate criminal justice and disciplinary processes, adding that the protection of children must take precedence over institutional reputation and convenience.
The proposed register, she noted, must operate within the principles of due process, lawful conviction, data protection and appropriate safeguards to ensure that it serves its intended protective purpose.
Drawing on her medical background, the Minister explained that the consequences of sexual abuse often extend far beyond physical injuries, affecting victims’ mental health, education, relationships, self-worth and ability to trust others.
She therefore called for stronger victim support services, improved access to medical and psychological care, timely investigations and prosecutions, and accountability for individuals who deliberately obstruct justice.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings further urged Parliament and relevant state institutions to treat the proposed register as an urgent national child-protection priority.
“Our children should not have to be extraordinarily brave simply to be safe,” she declared.
She maintained that Ghana’s commitment to protecting children must go beyond ratifying international conventions and enacting laws to include practical measures that prevent abuse, support survivors and ensure perpetrators face the full rigours of the law.
“Let us restore accountability. Let us restore our moral compass. And let us send an unequivocal message that the sexual abuse of children will neither be tolerated nor excused in our society,” she told the House.
Other members who contributed to the statement expressed concern about the alarming rate of sexual abuse involving children and other vulnerable people.
The speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Alban Bagbin referred the statement to the Parliament Legal and Constitutional Affairs to work with the office if the Attorney General to have the Children Act,1998 Act 560 been modified to address such challenges.
Source: Felix Nyaaba/expressnewsghana.com
