Felicity Nelson, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company, called on Saturday for the psychological, emotional and physical well‑being of alleged victims to be prioritised as investigations into sexual abuse allegations against the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School proceed.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Ms Nelson said the allegations “must be investigated” but added that the focus must also be on ensuring that the affected students receive appropriate medical care, counselling and emotional support.
“All allegations must be investigated. As it stands now, these still remain allegations, so we are still saying yes, let’s investigate. However, I want us to prioritise the victims in this case, their wants, their needs. We need to ensure that they are fine,” she stated.
She added that the students’ mental health and physical health must be checked, stressing that “psychologically they are okay, emotionally they are fine. In terms of health, we need to do those checks.”
Ms Nelson highlighted the prevalence of sexual abuse among adolescent girls in Ghana, citing UNICEF reports that 22 per cent of adolescent girls had experienced some form of sexual abuse and that 51 per cent of girls in secondary schools experienced abuse between 2019 and 2021.
Describing the situation as a widespread national problem, she cautioned against treating the Obuasi allegations as an isolated incident, noting that many cases remain unreported.
She also criticised the cultural practice of influential community figures intervening to seek forgiveness or private settlements on behalf of accused individuals, arguing that such interventions could undermine accountability and discourage victims from pursuing formal complaints.
Ms Nelson called for a review of safeguarding systems to strengthen child protection and ensure that allegations of sexual abuse are handled appropriately.
The headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School has denied wrongdoing, and the allegations remain subject to investigation. Ms Nelson maintains that beyond establishing the facts and ensuring accountability, protecting the welfare and dignity of affected students must remain central to the response.
