The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sekyere-Kumawu, Mr. Fuseini Donkor, has urged women and children, who suffer physical and sexual violence to refuse to be intimidated and seek justice.
They should be bold to report any form of abuse to the police and other relevant state institutions for prosecution of the offenders.
He was speaking at a durbar held at Kumawu to climax the celebration of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.
“From peace in the home to peace in the world: Make education safe for all”, was the theme for the event.
It was meant not only to highlight but to press for more action to end violence against women across the world.
Mr. Donkor said under no circumstance should the abused victims give in to pressure by anybody to protect their abusers.
Sexually-assaulted women and children should not live with pain and trauma, while the culprits walked freely on the streets – emboldened to prey on other innocent people.
The DCE asked chiefs, family members and opinion leaders in the communities not to intervene to settle purely criminal cases out of the court.
Instead they should encourage and support the victims to get justice and overcome the stigmatization, he added.
Mr. Donkor said within the past 11 months, the district recorded seven rape and defilement cases, five abductions and 12 other gender-related breaches.
He called on all to work together to give protection to women, children and the physically challenged.
Mrs. Christiana Boateng Ankamah, acting Director of the Ashanti Regional Office of the Department of Women, reminded parents to give priority to the education of the girl-child.
It was also important to provide safer environment for children – the home, school and community.
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