In Obuasi Senior High Technical School, 19 students have stepped forward with allegations of sexual abuse against the suspended headmaster, up from 16 reported earlier this year. The claims include rape, assault and intimidation, and are detailed in a documentary produced by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni. The headmaster has not been convicted; the Constitution preserves his presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
According to Awuni, the Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi was first informed last year after a former sports master reported that the headmaster had slept with a student. A recording captured the school’s housemistress describing how a female student was taken away at night after an assault allegation, and how the housemistress confronted the headmaster, who questioned the girls’ motives. The Ghana Education Service initially recommended only a transfer, effectively moving the problem to another school without protecting the victims.
The Interior Minister told Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee that the police will conduct a thorough and impartial investigation, and that the matter will not be swept under the carpet. The headmaster resigned as constituency secretary of his political party and withdrew from its chairmanship race following the documentary’s release.
The case highlights systemic failures that extend beyond Obuasi. Earlier this year, a 20‑year‑old law student, Ivan Apprey Baidoo, died after a police corporal allegedly chased him on a motorbike, causing a crash. The corporal was charged with murder, and the officer was interdicted. In another tragedy, engineer Charles Amissah died after being denied emergency care at three major Accra hospitals, a failure attributed to delayed response and weak coordination.
These incidents underscore a pattern of selective justice, where victims’ pleas are often ignored until amplified by media or public outcry. The stories call for immediate, transparent investigations and systemic reforms to protect vulnerable students and ensure that the Constitution’s promise of fairness is upheld for all.
