Child Rights International has demanded faster prosecution of crimes against children as more than 280 child protection cases are still pending in court.
The Group says delays in securing justice are keeping child victims in prolonged uncertainty and eroding public confidence in the country’s child protection systems.
At a press conference held on Thursday, April 30, 2026, Child Rights International said its new findings have identified defilement and assault as most prevalent crimes committed against children.
According to Executive Director, Bright Appiah, the study examined 899 child protection cases from courts across 10 regions and 193 communities.
The report highlighted 23 offenses committed against children in Ghana. The top three were defilement, accounting for 59.4% of all cases, followed by assault at 15.9% and indecent assault at 7.7%.
“We have identified about 23 different offenses that are commonly committed against children and within that offenses we realize that a defilement accounted for the largest proportion of recorded cases. So you look at defilement, it’s about 59.4 percent,” he told the media.
Bright Appiah stressed that the delays in prosecuting offences against children are prevalent in the rural areas of Ghana.
“We realize that there are 286 child protection cases still pending in court. Most of these offenses are committed against children in the rural and vulnerable areas of this country,” he added.
Among all reported cases from the ten regions, Greater Accra recorded the highest proportion at 33.5%, followed by Ashanti (19.0%), Central (12.2%), Western North (9.3%) and Volta Region (8.9%).
Expressing concern about the impact of prolonged judicial processes on children and families, Bright Appiah stated: “Families bear heavy financial burdens, spending between 1,050 and 2,540 Ghana cedis per case on transportation, medical examinations, forensic reports, and lost income. Children can miss up to a month of school per year due to court appearances.”
He further noted that victims often suffer social stigma, as children are frequently blamed or shunned.
Educational disruption is common, with children missing significant school time to attend hearings, while re-traumatisation occurs when they are forced to repeatedly recount painful experiences in open court without adequate protective measures.
The Executive Director emphasized that to address these challenges, courts must expedite cases, government should establish specialised child protection courts within both the police and judicial systems, and a national case-tracking system should be developed to monitor cases online and across communities.
In addition, Bright Appiah said, “If we strengthen the system and allow families and children to trust it, then we can achieve true justice.”
The institution noted that it will formally submit the report to the Office of the Chief Justice, the Office of the Attorney-General and support policy and institutional reforms for children’s justice.
By Beatrice Sowah
