Child Rights activist, Bright Appiah, has called for swift action against the military man at the centre of an alleged rape case at Bimbilla in the Northern Region.
The sixteen-year-old girl of Tonaa Junior High was allegedly raped at prep time.
The incident allegedly happened at the Tonaa Junior High school, an all-girls school on Monday after prep hours.
The victim in a Citi News interview said the military man dragged her around 9 pm to a classroom block and forcefully had sex with her.
Medical reports sighted by Citi News revealed that there was some penetration.
But the Police is having a difficult time with their investigations as they are required to secure a release of the accused from the military command.
Mr. Bright Appiah told Citi News the interest of the girl must be protected.
“We need to encourage our young people to report matters of this nature, so that a system can be there to assist them, issues of sexual abuse, defilement and rape cases are cases that go beyond parents to decide whether they want to pursue or not, so the authority must quickly step in to ensure that they do what they are supposed to do to protect the interest of the girl,” he said.
The Nanumba Youth Association has also called on major stakeholders in education, security and law enforcement to ensure that justice is served in the case.
Speaking to Citi News, the National President of Nanumba Youth Association Dr. Hafiz Adam, who called for thorough investigations and sanctions, said the lack of punishment for some military officers who have in the past committed criminal offences have emboldened them to perpetuate more of such crimes.
He further called on the president and the ministry of Interior to as a matter of urgency lift the curfew on Bimbilla because it has outlived its usefulness.
“This is a sixteen-year-old girl who was trying to escape arrest during the curfew hours, and the information we have is that she was arrested by one of the military guys who eventually raped her. For us, since we have this information we are working behind the scenes to make sure justice is served, so I call on the interior minister to make sure that this matter doesn’t end till we get to the bottom of the matter,” he said.
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By: Farida Yusif | citinewsroom.com | Ghana
