Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings Calls For National Sex Offenders Register Over Rising Child Abuse Cases
The Member of Parliament for Klottey-Korle, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has called for the establishment of a national sex offenders register, warning that the increasing cases of sexual abuse involving children in Ghana require urgent national attention.
She made the appeal in Parliament while drawing attention to police statistics showing the number of reported sexual offences against vulnerable persons in the country.
According to the figures she presented, Ghana recorded 1,132 cases of defilement, 297 rape cases, 10 attempted defilement cases and 16 attempted rape cases in 2025.
The statistics also showed that 2024 recorded 1,296 defilement cases and 316 rape cases, as well as seven cases of carnal knowledge involving females with mental incapacity.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings noted that the 1,462 cases recorded in 2025 represented only incidents reported to the police, suggesting that the actual scale of the problem could be greater.
She questioned the circumstances that allow children to be sexually abused by people who are expected to protect and care for them, while society sometimes appears more willing to defend alleged perpetrators than support victims.
The MP said Ghana must move beyond its commitments to protecting children and ensure that the necessary laws, institutions and enforcement measures are in place to guarantee their safety.
She recalled that Ghana was the first country to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990. The convention, particularly Articles 19 and 34, requires states to protect children from violence and sexual exploitation.
She also pointed to Ghana’s obligations under Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, stressing the need for stronger action to protect vulnerable people.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings also criticised the practice of transferring teachers accused of sexual misconduct from one school to another, warning that such decisions could expose more children to potential harm.
“We cannot simply transfer a teacher from one school to another when credible allegations of sexual abuse emerge, thereby potentially exposing other groups of children to danger,” she said.
She called for allegations of sexual abuse to be reported promptly, investigated independently and followed through with appropriate legal action. She maintained that no individual should be protected from accountability because of their position or influence.
“The safety of children must take precedence over institutional convenience or reputation,” she stressed.
Concluding her appeal, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings urged Parliament to ensure that everyone, regardless of their social or professional standing, is held accountable for offences against children.
“Not a teacher, not a pastor, not a traditional ruler, not a politician and certainly not anyone who believes their position in society enables and entitles them to escape accountability.”
