Catholic women's council in Ghana demands prosecutions for child sexual abuse

The Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women of Accra (AACCW), a lay women's organization in the Archdiocese of Accra, Ghana's capital, has issued a statement calling for swift and professional investigations into the sexual abuse of minors. The council also demands criminal charges against those responsible, whatever their social standing, influence or position. The statement calls for stronger child protection in schools, homes and communities across the country.

The text condemns the sexual abuse, harassment, intimidation and exploitation of minors, and sets out how the women believe such acts should be treated under the law. "Sexual abuse is a crime, not a disciplinary matter," the Catholic women said. The council rejects handling such conduct internally or through corrective measures alone, saying it should be pursued through the courts.

Shared responsibility

The AACCW members said responding to abuse involves obligations in child protection, justice and human rights, and requires action at the national level. Institutions and individuals alike have a duty to protect children from further abuse, prevent their exploitation and keep them safe, they said. They called for every complaint to be referred to the competent authorities so that proceedings can be opened and those responsible tried through the established legal channels.

The council said responsibility does not rest only with those who commit the abuse directly. Anyone who obstructs investigations, threatens victims or witnesses, or tampers with evidence must also be held to account.

Transparency and institutional oversight

The Catholic women asked the Ghana Education Service and other competent bodies to publish anonymized information at regular intervals on the abuse complaints they receive. The reports should also cover how each case was handled, the outcome of investigations and the steps taken to improve child protection. They called on legislators and oversight bodies to scrutinize complaints and institutional responses more closely, and to make sure the necessary measures are actually carried out.

The council called for accessible and confidential reporting channels that children and witnesses can use without fear of being identified or intimidated. Survivors of abuse should receive proper medical care, psychological support and legal assistance, along with protection from discrimination, threats and reprisals, the statement said. Schools, they added, are obliged to provide safe places where children can learn and grow without fear.

Domestic violence and incest

The statement addressed cases of incest and sexual abuse within families, including cases in which fathers abuse their own daughters. The council called these acts grave violations of children's rights, dignity and safety: "Their bodies are not instruments of negotiation." The text restated the right of every child to dignity, safety, bodily integrity and protection from exploitation and sexual abuse.

The AACCW members also warned that boys risk being left out of child protection efforts. Boys too are vulnerable to sexual violence and exploitation, and the council asked parents, religious institutions and local communities to strengthen protection for all minors regardless of sex. The appeal extended to abuse involving abandoned and unaccompanied children, with the council asking that those cases also be investigated and addressed so that the most vulnerable children receive the protection they need.

Cameroon's bishops speak out against gender-based violence

The bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Douala, in Cameroon, also addressed violence against women during their second ordinary session of the year, held in the Catholic Diocese of Bafoussam from November 8 to 11, 2026. In their closing statement, the members of the Provincial Bishops' Conference of Douala (CEPED) asked the faithful not to keep "a complicit silence" about femicide and domestic violence, but to report such practices.

The bishops called on Christian communities to draw close to victims, listen to them, protect them, accompany them, care for them and pray for the conversion of those who attack them. The appeal was part of a broader set of pastoral recommendations covering solidarity with the most vulnerable, including young people, prisoners, migrants, the sick, refugees and the elderly, as well as evangelization and the formation of future priests.