Alleged victims of witchcraft accusations in Anhwiesu, a community in the Assin North District of the Central Region, are being subjected to public humiliation, isolation, and abuse despite legal reforms aimed at protecting the vulnerable.
The victims include an 11-year-old class six pupil and three elderly women who have been accused of engaging in spiritual attacks. The young girl whose name is being withheld was allegedly accused by a classmate who claimed to possess spiritual powers.
The accuser alleged that the girl had spiritually “tied” two fellow pupils and conspired with three elderly women to harm a teacher.
In response, community elders organised a public exorcism ceremony, inviting a fetish priest who claimed to have witnessed the girl’s spiritual activities. While the girl was forced to participate, the three elderly women refused, maintaining they had no involvement in witchcraft or spiritual practices.
The girl’s parents say the stigma has taken a severe toll on their family. Her mother told Channel One News that they now spend most of their time on the farm to avoid the public eye. Her father admitted he was initially opposed to the exorcism, but eventually gave in to pressure from community elders.
The accused elderly women have also suffered significantly. 96-year-old Amponsah (not her real name) is now facing eviction from the home she built, after suffering physical abuse from her own relatives.
Another accused woman, Agyeiwaa (name changed), aged 76 and suffering from mobility challenges, said she has been ostracised by the entire community.
Speaking to Channel One News on Tuesday, July 22, she lamented that “Even if I want to buy something, they won’t sell to me. I can’t even send a child on an errand because their parents won’t allow it.”
All four victims have called for justice and protection, as each day becomes a painful reminder of the injustice they continue to endure.
Assemblyman for the Anhwiesu Electoral Area, Abdul Karim Sulemana, condemned the actions of the community and called for an official investigation into the matter. He described the accusations and public ridicule as “unfortunate” and a violation of basic human dignity.
However, the community’s chief, Nana Yaw Kwaning Ababio II, defended the decision to bring in a fetish priest, saying it was intended to ease the fears of teachers and other public servants, some of whom had reportedly threatened to leave the area.
Although the Assin North District Education Directorate declined to speak on record, officials confirmed that several teachers from the Anhwiesu Basic School have applied for transfers. None of the transfer applications, however, explicitly cited spiritual fears.
The disturbing incident highlights a broader issue of witchcraft accusations in Ghana. In July 2023, Parliament passed an amendment to the Criminal Offences Act, criminalising witchcraft accusations and providing legal protections, particularly for women.
But the bill has yet to receive presidential assent, leaving vulnerable individuals like those in Anhwiesu without full legal recourse.
