In a statement to the press, Noah Ephraem Tetteh Adamtey, President of the Young Lawyers Association, highlighted a significant loophole in Ghana’s rape legislation. He noted that Section 98 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) does not classify a man as a rape victim, leaving male survivors without a direct legal avenue for prosecution.
Adamtey explained that while a man who is forced into sexual activity by women cannot file a rape charge, the law still offers alternative routes such as indecent assault, assault, battery and false imprisonment. He cited a recent case involving a ride‑hailing driver who claimed that three women overpowered him during a trip and forced him to have sex against his will. The driver resisted but was eventually subdued, and he was unsure whether to report the incident because he is a man and the alleged perpetrators are women.
According to the lawyer, if the victim was prevented from leaving the vehicle after being overpowered, the state could pursue charges under Sections 84 and 85 of Act 29. However, Adamtey warned that the penalties for these offences are generally lighter than those for rape, creating a disparity in protection for male victims of non‑consensual sexual violence.
He added, “If the manner in which the woman had the sexual contact with the man gets into the level of unnatural canal knowledge, then it may get to the extent of the punishment for rape. In that circumstance, the man may get a remedy equivalent to what a woman will get if a rape charge was brought.”
Adamtey called for policy consideration to determine whether Ghana’s laws adequately safeguard male survivors. He stressed that although a male victim may still have legal recourse, the available offences may carry significantly lighter punishments than a conventional rape case.
Lawyers and activists are urged to monitor the situation closely as the issue may prompt legislative review or judicial clarification in the coming months.
