Some women and young girls living with cerebral palsy, autism, and other forms of disabilities in Akyem Tafo in the Abuakwa North Municipality of the Eastern Region have become targets of sexual molestation and abuse, the Ghanaian Times investigations have revealed.
Most of the men who perpetrate these dastardly acts within the community most often deploy coercion or financial inducement as a bait to get to their victims.
In addition, those who fall victim to the abuse are bribed not to disclose the identity of their attackers or in some cases are threatened with death not to disclose their predicament to anyone.
Our investigations also uncovered that most of the victims were targeted under the assumption that they cannot effectively identify or report their attackers due to their disabilities.
Some of the victims had been left pregnant, while others had also delivered children with special needs with proper care.
The most recent incident occurred on August 14, this year and involved a 25-year-old woman with special needs, known as Mercy (not real name) and Francis Mensah (aka Papa Tailor) 59 years old.
Papa Tailor was alleged to have raped mercy after he had sent her on an errand to buy him porridge and delivered it to his house where he pounced on her and forcefully had sex with her.
A medical examination by the Tafo Government Hospital, where she was sent to for examination confirmed that she has been sexually abused.
Papa Tailor was subsequently arrested and granted police enquiry bail of GHC5000 by the Tafo police.
The Crime Officer, DSP Fred Kpetigo who confirmed the incident said the matter had been sent to the Attorney General’s Department for advice and declined to make further comments.
Another victim who confided in the Ghanaian Times said like their other victims, the situation had become a burden on their families as it had become their responsibility to take care of their molested daughters and their new borns, some of whom also suffer one form of disability or other.
Narrating the ordeal of her daughter to the Ghanaian Times, a mother of one of the victims who refused to disclose her identity said her daughter who had cerebral palsy was sexually molested by two unidentified men getting her pregnant on two different occasions.
Unfortunately, she said all the two children delivered by her daughter were down with disabilities and the family had to struggle to take care of them.
The woman who gave her name only as Pokua, expressed concern over the lack of safety and resources for individuals like her, stating that many others in her situation face similar abuse and trauma with little recourse for help.
In response, some parents have taken prevention measures, like initiating family planning methods for their daughters with disabilities, to protect against the consequences of such abuse.
The Headmistress of OPASS Special Unit School in Tafo, Mrs Charity Yaa Otu disclosed that sexual abuse was common among students with special needs.
Many of the girls have experienced similar trauma, often leading to psychological and emotional damage and were at risk of contracting Sexually Transmitted Diseases, she noted.
She said limited resources compound their challenges, as some victims cannot access proper nutrition or health care, contributing to a cycle of poverty and hardship.
Mrs Otu emphasized the need for societal responsponsibility and adherence to Section 4 (1) of Ghana’s Persons with Disability (PWDs) Act, which prohibited discrimination, exploitation, and abuse against PWDs.
Emma Asaa, a member of the PWDs Association in the Abuakwa North Municipality criticized the inadequate support for PWDs, and urged authorities to take stronger actions to protect vulnerable individuals.
Head of Social Welfare Department at the Abuakwa North Municipality, Percy Nimako-Yamoah claimed he was unaware of such cases, although the department has pledged to investigate.
Municipal Chief Executive of Abuakwa North Municipality, Alhaji Omar Bodinga also promised to address the issues, stressing that the perpetrators would be prosecuted.
FROM AMA TEKYIWAA AMPADU AGYEMAN, AKYEM TAFO