Upper East Shaken as 6 Defilement Cases Rock Schools and Communities, Teacher Among Suspects Arrested

A teacher is among several suspects arrested in connection with defilement cases involving schoolchildren in Ghana’s Upper East Region, as new figures reveal that at least six children were sexually abused across three districts between July 2025 and March 2026.

The disturbing incidents were recorded in the Talensi District, the Bawku Municipality, and the Bolgatanga Municipality, raising serious concerns about child safety both in and outside school environments.

In Bolgatanga, a teacher has been arrested and granted bail in connection with two of the reported cases. In the Talensi District, one suspect has been arrested while another remains at large. In Bawku, authorities are still pursuing a suspect linked to two separate cases.

The Upper East Regional Gender Desk Officer, Rita Mbamah, who disclosed the figures at a regional review meeting in Bolgatanga, expressed deep concern over the involvement of teachers in such offences.

“If teachers, who are supposed to act as parents and protect these children, are rather the ones abusing them, then it means our children are not safe,” she stated.

The meeting, organised by the Department of Gender with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), also highlighted a broader social concern, revealing that 376 pregnant girls and lactating mothers sat for the BECE and WASSCE examinations within the same period.

Of this number, 84 were pregnant girls and 46 lactating mothers who sat for the BECE, while 111 were pregnant girls and 135 lactating mothers sat for the WASSCE.

Authorities further noted that many defilement cases fail to reach final judgment due to withdrawals and settlements outside the formal justice system.

Sergeant Safia Salifu of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) explained that complainants often abandon cases mid-investigation due to pressure from family and community members to settle matters privately.

The absence of a resident lawyer in the region, coupled with strong family interference, was also cited as a major barrier to justice by Assistant ADR Officer at the Legal Aid Commission, Farihan Mutaru.

The acting Upper East Regional Director of the Department of Gender, James Twene, called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders, stressing that regular review meetings had improved coordination and support for survivors.

Meanwhile, UNFPA Focal Person Yvonne Wonchua warned that weak data collection systems were undermining effective responses, limiting resource mobilisation and efforts to prevent future cases.