Gender Ministry slams viral child abuse video, demands swift arrest

A deep concern has been expressed by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection over a disturbing video whcih is circulating on social media showing a group of men trying to force a young boy to smoke a cigarette.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection described the act as “abusive and a clear violation of the right and dignity of the child.” Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection again said that, exposing a child to a harmful substances will lead to a serious offense that carries penalties under the Ghanaian law.

As per a statement released by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, what happened goes against the children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560). The Act requires that every child must be protected from psychological, physical and moral harm. This goes against the principles of the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy of Ghana aims to make sure that children will be able to grow in a safe supportive spaces.

A strong warning has been sent by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to caregivers, parents and the public that everyone should uphold collective responsibility so that children will be protected from harm.

After the release of the video, the Gender Ministry forwarded the circulating video to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service so that they will immediate actions.

As Ghana get closer to the height of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Sexual and Gender Based Violence, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection encouraged families, traditional authorities, civil society groups and religious leaders to set up action to protect vulnerable children and prevent all forms of abuse.

READ THE STATEMENT BELOW:

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