By: Mr Alhassan Mbalba
The ongoing public discourse surrounding allegations of child sexual abuse at Obuasi Senior Technical School involving its former headteacher, Mr Zakaria Abdulai, has reignited public interest in the issue of child sexual abuse in Ghana. These allegations underscore the urgent need for a robust, comprehensive and effective child protection system to safeguard vulnerable children.
Child sexual abuse, like many other social problems, may be difficult to eradicate completely. However, this should not deter the Government and other stakeholders from developing and implementing effective strategies to prevent abuse, protect victims, hold perpetrators accountable and reduce the risk of reoffending.
It is my hope that the current public debate will lead to practical and sustainable solutions rather than end with expressions of outrage, public condemnation and the issuance of statements. Ghana needs a coordinated approach that combines prevention, effective law enforcement, appropriate punishment, victim support and evidence-based rehabilitation.
Drawing on my experience in the United Kingdom, I believe that two important measures could contribute to reducing child sexual abuse in Ghana and strengthening the protection of vulnerable children.
1. THE COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT, 2026
Paedophilia is recognised in clinical psychiatry as a sexual interest that may, in certain circumstances, meet the criteria for a mental disorder. Although paedophilic interests are associated with some cases of child sexual abuse, not everyone with such an interest sexually abuses children, and not everyone who sexually abuses a child has a paedophilic disorder. It is therefore important to distinguish between the clinical assessment and treatment of individuals with relevant sexual interests and the criminal justice response to those who commit child sexual offences.
Custodial sentences remain necessary in appropriate cases to punish offenders, protect the public and reflect the seriousness of their crimes. However, imprisonment alone should not be regarded as the only means of preventing further offending. For some offenders, evidence-based psychological treatment, specialist rehabilitation and appropriate supervision may help address the factors contributing to their offending behaviour and reduce the risk of reoffending.
It is against this background that I consider the enactment and effective implementation of the Community Service Act, 2026, an opportunity for Ghana to explore a more comprehensive approach to rehabilitation and crime prevention.
Subject to the provisions of the Act, the applicable sentencing framework, individual risk assessments and appropriate safeguards, the relevant authorities could consider how community-based sentences and specialist rehabilitation programmes might contribute to reducing reoffending among eligible child sexual abuse offenders.
However, it must be emphasised that community service is not automatically an appropriate sentence for a person convicted of child sexual abuse. The seriousness of the offence, the circumstances of the case, the risk posed to children and the wider public, and the need to protect victims must all be taken into account.
In many cases, imprisonment will remain the appropriate sentence. Any rehabilitative intervention must therefore complement, rather than undermine, accountability and public protection.
Ghana can learn from the experiences of other jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, where the criminal justice system provides for a range of sentences, supervision arrangements and rehabilitative interventions for people convicted of sexual offences.
In England and Wales, for example, courts may impose community sentences with appropriate requirements where the law permits and the circumstances of the case justify them. These may include accredited programmes designed to address offending behaviour, where available and applicable. Depending on the seriousness of the offence and the circumstances of the offender, custodial sentences may be necessary, together with additional notification requirements and supervision arrangements where legally applicable.
One question Ghana must confront, however, is whether it currently has sufficient specialist expertise, institutional capacity and rehabilitative programmes to work effectively with people convicted of child sexual offences.
The Government should therefore explore partnerships with experienced international organisations that specialise in preventing child sexual abuse and addressing sexually harmful behaviour. One such organisation is the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a UK-based charity that works to prevent child sexual abuse through public education, specialist interventions and support for people concerned about their own sexual thoughts or behaviour, as well as those who have sexually abused children. Its work includes initiatives aimed at preventing abuse before it occurs and reducing the risk of further harm.
The Foundation also undertakes international work to support child sexual abuse prevention efforts. The Ghanaian Government could explore whether technical assistance, training or other forms of collaboration with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and similar organisations would be feasible and appropriate.
Such collaboration could help build the capacity of Ghanaian professionals to assess risk, deliver evidence-based interventions, monitor offenders and protect children. It could also support the development of specialist rehabilitation programmes within the broader framework of the Community Service Act, 2026.
2. ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE SEX OFFENDERS REGISTER
A second important measure Ghana should consider is the establishment of an effective system for registering and monitoring people convicted of relevant sexual offences.
In the United Kingdom, people convicted of qualifying sexual offences are subject to statutory notification requirements commonly associated with the term Sex Offenders Register. The duration and nature of these requirements depend on the applicable law and the circumstances of the conviction. Such requirements may oblige offenders to provide specified personal information to the police and notify the authorities of certain changes in their circumstances.
These arrangements help the authorities monitor registered individuals and support the management of risks associated with sexual offending. However, registration does not, by itself, guarantee that an individual will not reoffend. It must form part of a broader system of risk assessment, law enforcement, supervision and child protection.
Ghana should consider developing a comprehensive and legally regulated sex offenders register that enables the appropriate authorities to identify, monitor and manage people convicted of specified sexual offences. The system should establish clear procedures for registration, updating personal information, reporting obligations, inter-agency information-sharing and enforcement where individuals fail to comply with their legal duties.
The relevant agencies must also be adequately resourced and trained to use such information responsibly. Any register should operate within a clear legal framework that protects children and the public while respecting due process, privacy and applicable data protection requirements.
The Government should also consider how the proposed register could be integrated with the work of the police, the courts, probation and community service, social welfare agencies and other institutions responsible for child protection.
Where legally authorised, appropriate information-sharing arrangements could help ensure that those responsible for safeguarding children are equipped to assess risks and take preventive action. Any public disclosure of information about registered offenders should be governed by law and carefully designed to protect children without creating unnecessary risks or undermining legitimate safeguarding work.
Ultimately, a sex offenders register should not be viewed merely as a database of convicted individuals. It should form part of a coordinated national strategy for preventing sexual offences, managing offenders and protecting vulnerable children.
CONCLUSION
The allegations surrounding Obuasi Senior Technical School should serve as a wake-up call for Ghana. Public outrage is understandable, but outrage alone will not protect children. What is required is a sustained commitment to prevention, accountability, effective law enforcement, victim support and evidence-based rehabilitation.
The Community Service Act, 2026, presents an opportunity to strengthen Ghana’s approach to rehabilitation, provided that its implementation is guided by the law, professional expertise, appropriate risk assessments and the paramount need to protect children. The Government should also explore specialist partnerships to build the capacity required to prevent reoffending.
Alongside this, Ghana should consider establishing an effective sex offenders register supported by appropriate monitoring, supervision and information-sharing arrangements.
Above all, child protection must remain the central consideration in every policy decision. Rehabilitation should never be confused with leniency, and accountability should never be reduced to punishment alone. A justice system that combines proportionate punishment with effective prevention and rehabilitation stands a better chance of reducing further harm.
The time has come for Ghana to move beyond public condemnation and develop a coordinated, adequately resourced and sustainable national strategy to prevent child sexual abuse, protect victims and safeguard future generations.
Mr Alhassan Mbalba
Child Protection Expert
