Human rights abuses in Central Region

The Central Regional office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), last year recorded a total of 681 reported cases as compared to the 695 recorded in 2020.

The total number of cases are 556 human rights abuses, 16 cases on administrative injustice and three anti-corruption cases.

Of the 681 total cases, 106 of them were brought forward from 2021, 516 closed, while 165 are pending as at the end of 2021.

Mr Daniel Amosah, the Acting Central Regional Director of the Commission who made this known in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Cape Coast said the Commission under its core mandate recorded a total of 556 human rights infractions on child labour, unlawful custody, and right to name and right to education.

About 56 rights infractions such as spousal non-maintenance and battering and non-maintenance of pregnancies were registered under women’s rights, while 106 were recorded on property rights including intestate or inheritance and share of property.

The Commission registered 83 infractions under economic and social rights, particularly, unlawful termination of contract, none payment of salaries and service benefits.

Furthermore, 16 of the cases were also reported on administrative injustices such as abuse of power, intimidation by police, failure to act on complaints, victimization and unfair treatments.

However, cases on anti-corruption rose from zero in the previous year to three precisely on bribery and failure to account for community water proceeds.

He was alarmed that such right infractions were largely against women and children who were the most vulnerable.

A child may not know his or her rights or the existence of these institutions to make certain reports on the abuse of their rights until he or she is assisted to make such reports.

The laws on child protection guaranteed the rights of all children to a life, free from violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect, among others.

He called on parents, family members and community leaders to report cases of sexual abuse of children to expose perpetrators, adding that CHRAJ was ready to offer protection to citizens who reported crimes to avoid victimization.

The Commission, had also scaled-up public education Programmes at the community level, schools, groups and institutions on how they could demand accountability from public officers.

Such engagements, he said, offered the citizenry the opportunity to learn basic human rights and allowed those who ordinarily would not have the opportunity to access legal services to also report and pursue corruption related cases.

Source: GNA