Nearly ninety per cent of reported child abuse cases in Ghana are resolved outside the formal justice system, according to the Chief Executive Officer of Child Rights International (CRI), Mr Bright Appiah. He made the revelation during a media engagement in Accra where he highlighted major challenges confronting the prosecution of child abuse cases in the country.
Mr Appiah explained that pressure from influential individuals often leads to cases being negotiated privately rather than being taken through the courts. These individuals include politicians, traditional leaders and religious figures who, he said, often encourage families to settle matters out of court, which in turn denies abused children the justice they deserve.
According to CRI, such out-of-court settlements weaken the rule of law and embolden offenders, because they face little or no legal consequences for harming children. Mr Appiah stressed that crimes against children are not private family matters but offences against both the victim and the State, and should therefore be handled within the legal system.
He noted that many families feel intimidated by powerful community figures and eventually abandon formal prosecution, especially when cases face repeated adjournments that delay justice and discourage victims from pursuing their claims.
Mr Appiah also highlighted the harmful effects of settling abuse cases informally, saying that many children require psychological support, counselling and medical care that become harder to access when abuse is not legally recognised. He added that proper legal adjudication helps validate a child’s experience and supports their healing process.
CRI has said it plans to intensify efforts to track cases and publicly identify individuals who interfere with the legal process, regardless of their social status. Mr Appiah urged law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and the public to resist outside interference so that child abuse cases are strictly handled by the justice system.
