At just seven years old, Dorcas (not her real name) from the Possum community in the Bawku Municipality of Upper East Region walks with a pain that tells a story no child should ever have to endure.
Her sister, Rita, not her real name, who is four years old, with similar challenges, has a penetrative injury that needs medical attention.
The man they once called “uncle,” a 47-year-old trader, Sulley Fongo, took advantage of their innocence, leaving them broken and their family desperate for justice.
Her mother, Rose, is a poor widow struggling to raise her children by selling sachet water. Despite her situation, she is seeking justice for her daughters with all her might.
However, after reporting the case to the police on several occasions, the accused person is still walking freely, while her daughters’ pain deepens and hope for justice fades.
The suspect, who owns a shop, is said to have lured them with sweets and warned them not to disclose to their parents after defiling the little girls. He is alleged to have repeated the act on countless occasions.
Narrating the incident to A1 Radio, the mother of the victim said she noticed something was wrong with her little daughter Rita after she had difficulty walking.
“I asked her what was wrong, but she kept quiet. I got scared and told her that if she didn’t tell me, I would punish her. That was when she finally opened up.”
“Then, the senior one (Dorcas) now speaking up that it was the second time the man, Sulley Fongo, was doing that to them”, she added with tears dropping from her eyes.
Medical report
The case was reported to the police, and a medical report form was issued for examination of the victim at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital.
The medical report signed by Dr. (Med) Rhoda W. Amadu and sighted by A1 Radio confirmed evidence of a torn hymen, bruises, and tenderness consistent with sexual assault and penetrative injury.
When the suspect was confronted, he confirmed having committed the act and pleaded for out of court settlement and mercy.
The family received GH¢3,200 from Sulley’s family for medical costs, including expensive injections and tests.
Despite this evidence, justice has been elusive. “Since then, Sulley walks freely in town as if nothing happened; we have not heard from the police again”, Rose lamented.
Reality
According to UNICEF, 650 million girls and women alive today were married or subjected to sexual violence as children. The World Health Organisation estimates that a staggering 1 billion children aged 2–17 experience some form of violence annually.
In the Upper East, the situation is not different as the Regional Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) recorded 65 defilement cases in 2020 alone, a figure that likely represents only a fraction of the true number.
The volatile security situation in Bawku further complicates law enforcement. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mariam Awemoni, the Regional DOVVSU Coordinator, confirms they are aware of the case.
She said the case had been referred to the regional unit for further investigations due to the insecurity situation in Bawku.
She admonished families not to hide such crimes, outlining available support systems, including a regional fund for survivors.
Challenges
The case exposes the systemic failures that allow predators to operate with impunity. Madam Matilda Abolga, the Girl-Child Officer in the Bawku Municipality, lamented the increasing cases of defilement and rape in the area.
However, she said, when the incident occurs outside school hours, it is difficult to intervene because it is beyond her jurisdiction.
She recounts a grim history of similar cases, including a father who repeatedly defiled his own daughter, a case suppressed by family threats. “It’s not something surprising to me because there are countless incidents like this one in Bawku. Even some time ago, a man impregnated her own daughter aged 16. So, defilement issues are not surprising to me in Bawku,” Madam Abolga says, underscoring the normalisation of such violence.
Immediate prosecution
The Executive Director of the Development Research and Advocacy Centre (DRAC), Joathan Adabre, has called for the immediate prosecution of the suspect to serve as a deterrent to others.
DRAC is a human-centred non-governmental organisation dedicated to improving the economic and social well-being of women and children in Northern Ghana.
Guided by its core values of empowerment, inclusivity, and community resilience, the organisation works to promote sustainable livelihoods, gender equality, and the protection of vulnerable groups.
Mr. Adabre emphasised the need for stronger institutional support to address issues affecting women and children.
He stated, “We are calling on the Department of Social Welfare, under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, to intervene in this matter through case management, psychosocial counselling, and support for the survivors and their families. We also urge the District and Regional Child Protection Committees to step in and fulfil their mandate to ensure that justice is served.”
Conclusion
Despite these figures, justice remains a distant dream for many survivors. In poor and rural communities like Bawku, cases often disappear under the weight of influence, corruption, or intimidation.
For Dorcas, life has changed forever. The once playful girls now struggle with nightmares and a fear of men. Her mother, still battling poverty and grief from losing her husband, feels abandoned by a system meant to protect her children.
Source: a1radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Moses Apiah|Bawku
